


-my queen-

by alzajay



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Elio (Sun) and Selene (Moon) do NOT exist in this universe, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Reader is Kalos champion, also some Calem x Reader so WATCH OUT, slight Gladion x Reader, some OCs but they add to plot so don't worry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-04
Updated: 2016-12-16
Packaged: 2018-09-06 10:26:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 25,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8746912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alzajay/pseuds/alzajay
Summary: You, the Kalos champion, decided to take a break from normal life to relax in the Alola region, only wishing to relax and not run into any trouble. Of course, with your luck, you do, and meet... Guzma. And then everyone else.





	1. grueling grunts and guzma

chapter 1 - grueling grunts and guzma

Delphox by your side, you were ready to take on Alola.

You sat in your new (temporary) house in Iki Town, freshly unpacked, as you had just moved in from Kalos; you were the Kalos champion, but decided you wanted to keep on travelling, so you told Diantha to hold the spot for you until you returned (if you ever did, that is, which was actually pretty unlikely). You didn't bring a whole lotta snazzy stuff to decorate your apartment; just a cozy couch, a TV with some game consoles, and a nice glass table with some roses in a crystal vase as the cherry on top. It was minimalistic, but wonderful. What you were planning to do in Alola? Just have a vacation. Sit back and relax on the coast for a bit. Maybe battle some people, but not let it get too out of hand. Explore a bit after that only to relax again. It was a nice break from all the missions you were doing, and nothing could go wrong in Alola... Right?

You took a look at your new Rotom Dex, seeing all the wonderful places to go.

At the press of a button, it happily buzzed alive.

"Hello, zzz-rt! I am your Rotom Dex!" "Hi, Rotom," you greeted it with a smile as it enthusiastically chirped back. "Where would you like to go?" A map appeared on its screen. You looked down at the map, eventually finding a nice looking beach that wasn't too far. "Perfect. There. My pokemon would love it." You widely grinned, thinking of your beloved pokemon. Rotom happily buzzed. "And I would too!~ Zzz-rt!" You laughed, Rotom Dex going back to its original spot as you began your journey. With the map memorized in your head, you began on Route 1. 

And immediately ran into trouble.

"HEEEEEEEEELP!" You heard a little kid screech in the distance. Your head immediately snapped to the source as your leisurely walk quickly turned into a full blown sprint. Your eyes locked on to two goons towering over a small preschooler. Your eyes narrowed with fury as you hurried, faster than the speed of light, sleekly jumping in between the goons and the kid. You bravely looked them in the eyes; two males, sleek black scarves tied over their mouths, white bandannas covering their heads. Narrowed pupils were surrounded by hints of black eyeliner. They both looked exactly the same, from their accessories to their tanktops. 

"Yo, yo! Who's this runt?" The first one said. "I dunno, man. Weak though. Maybe we could take her pokemon, too." They had a bouncy way to them, seemingly rapping while talking. It was... Ironically humorous. But... Take your pokemon? That's when you noticed the first grunt; he had a small, black furred Rattata tucked under its arm as it seemed to struggle. You nearly gasped, immediately drawing out a pokeball. "Already giving it up? Hah!" The second laughed, reaching for it, when you threw it behind you. "Mawile, GO!" Mawile ran in front of you, menacingly chomping its jaws, battle-ready smirk on its face. "So it's a pokemon battle you want?" You could hear the first grunt smirk under his bandana. "Then it's a battle you'll get, yo!" The grunts looked at eachother, nodding, sending out their pokemon.

You didn't even bother to send out a second pokemon. You already knew this was going to be easy.

"Crobat!" Commanded the first grunt. "Crunch!" Your aura was synced with Mawile's as you could feel it dodge to the left, leaving the Crobat at a loss. "Fomantis! Leech Seed!" It was almost like you could telepathically speak with Mawile. The leech seed came straight at it as it ducked, leech seed hitting Crobat instead. You smiled, cheering Mawile on. "Go, Mawile! That was great!" You laughed, clapping, as if this was merely child's play. Because, well, it sort of was (to you, at least). The grunts scratched at their heads, raising an eyebrow. 

Guzma sat in the bushes, watching and waiting. He originally was making sure Team Skull did their jobs (as he had nothing better to do); he noted to punish the grunts later for stealing from a preschooler. That just wasn't how they rolled. With an enigmatic interest, he watched this mysterious girl battle and beat down his crew. He'd intervene, but he was just too... Captivated. This wasn't like him, and he didn't like it; this was a guilty pleasure for him that he just found, watching this girl battle. With every word she spoke, he'd cringe; what a gross and squeaky voice. He hated everything about her already, but loved to watch and watch. She seemed so familiar, but so distant at the same time.

Who is she?

"Finish them off with Fairy Wind!" You enthusiastically called (while ironically filing your nails) as Mawile grinned, sending the Fairy Wind their way, knocking out their team. The grunts trembled, eyes wide, withdrawing their pokemon. Hastily, they threw some Poke at you before running away. You picked it up, along with the Rattata that slipped out of the grunt's arms as he ran away. You gently passed the Rattata over to the preschooler as they screamed with happiness, tears pouring down their eyes. "Thank you," the child bawled. "Get along, now," you ushered them. "Get home. It isn't safe outside for someone as young as you." You offered a caring look as they nodded, scampering wherever.

"Good job, Mawile," you affectionately pat the steel type's head as she smiled, grinning. "I got a treat for you!" The Mawile perked up, leaning over to see what you were bringing out of your bag. "Your favorite!~" The gray poke-bean! Mawile swiped it from you as you laughed, Mawile gobbling down the delicacy. You thanked Mawile once more, bringing her back into her poke ball, sighing. Maybe now you can get to the beach. And with that in your mind, with much determination, began walking to the beach once more, listening to Rotom's humorous praise and comments on how smoothly the battle went.

And Guzma followed.


	2. her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guzma wonders who that mysterious trainer was.

chapter 2 - her

Po town, home of Team Skull.

Guzma sat on his chair, elevated from the rest as he waited.

"PLUMEEERIIIIAAA, YO," he droned. "'Ya done with that stupid research yet? I've been waiting forever." Plumeria angrily mashed at the broken keyboard in front of her, box-computer flashing multiple colors. "I'm tryin'! This damn thing won't work right! C'mon...!" She flinched at a small beep when a page pulled up. She cooed an 'ohhh!', rubbing her hands together. Guzma slightly perked up, craning his head, trying to see what was on the screen. "Well? Read it to me already! Don't keep me waitin'," he impatiently tapped his fingers at the arm of his chair, heart beating restlessly. He was just so anxious. Plumeria cleared her throat. "_____, age 20. Gender: Female. Status: Alive. Occupation: Kalos Champion." "CHAMPION?!" Guzma yelled. "Are 'ya sure you got-the right person? This can't be true." Plumeria pulled up a picture of the so called '_____', showing it to Guzma.

"Well, badda-bing, badda-boom..." He rubbed his chin. "It really is her."

"_____.." He tested out the name of this mysterious maiden, perverously enjoying the way her name rolled off his tongue. "_____, Kalos champion, here in Alola. I wonder why..." He chuckled to himself, stretching his back before standing up. "Arright, Plum. That's enough. I gotta find 'er." "HOOOLD UP," Plumeria grabbed his hood, nearly choking him as he sauntered out the door. Guzma whipped around, about to lash out, before deciding better of it. Plumeria continued to speak. "You just walked into here, asking me to look up this random girl, then walk out. C'mon! I'm, like, one of the head chiefs here, boss. You gotta let me in on what you're thinking here." Guzma's eyebrows knit together, comprehending her words. 

"See, this _____ girl... Totally beat up our crew today in a Pokemon battle," he stuck his hands in his pockets as Plumeria's eye twitched. "WHAT?! Ohhhh, I oughtta give 'er a piece of my mind-" "She's so interesting," Guzma looked down at his feet. "The way she battles. The way she looks. I hate it." He kept looking out the door, longing to run out said door and to _____. Plumeria raised an eyebrow. "Then why're you goin' after her? Seems like-a waste of time to me." Guzma hummed in response, lacking a good comeback to it. "...I can't explain it," Guzma shrugged. "But I haf'ta see 'er again. She's really strong, Plum. You'd understand if you were there." Plumeria sighed. "Then I'll go with 'ya. If she really isn't 'all that', then.." Plumeria cracked her knuckles. "Someone's goin' down." "That's fair," Guzma nodded, turning his back to her, finally walking out that door.

And they were off!


	3. let me rest!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You try to relax, but get interrupted by the infamous Guzma.

chapter 3 - let me rest!

In a quick five minutes, you found yourself in Hau'oli's Beachfront.

The toasty Alolan white sand was so comfortable under your now bare toes. You relished the feeling of the warm sun sinking into your skin, a wide grin on your face. Palm trees were everywhere. You could hear couples mundanely talking in the background, kids playing in the beautiful blue ocean... You could even taste mango in the hot humid air as you took in deep breaths. Alola was truly paradise. 

"Ahhh~" You laid down a random picnic blanket someone lent you ("OHMIGOD! You're the Kalos champion!" "Haha, yeah, that's me." "ARE YOU GOING TO SIT ON THE SAND?! No! Intolerable! Have my blanket!" "That isn't necessary, but thanks-" "I INSIST!" "Well, alright then."), laying down on it. Happily, you released all your pokemon as they all jumped in front of you, expecting a battle. "Not this time, guys. It's time to relax!~" Your pokemon cheered as you smiled, leaning your head down on the sun-baked warm blanket. Closing your eyes, you blissfully sighed.

You remembered how you got each of your pokemon; Primarina, Lurantis, and Mimikyu, who were sent to you by two strange people you once met in Kalos named 'Dexio' and 'Sina' at an airport before you traveled here. You still could perfectly remember what they said; "some Alolan pokemon will do 'ya good!". Then you remembered how you got Lucario, the one you received from Korrina. Then the Mawile you caught in Glittering cave. And finally, your faithful Delphox, your first Kalosian pokemon, who had been the closest to you the entire journey.

Snapping out of your reflections, you could hear your Primarina wailing with happiness, having gone to the ocean, splashing Lucario and Lurantis gleefully. Mimikyu was busy collecting berries, placing them next to you (gently hinting that it's getting anxious for a delicious and healthy lunch soon). Mawile was out with the Hawaiian dancers, shaking a tail feather. That left you with your best pal, Delphox, faithfully sitting next to you, guarding you while enjoying the drowsy sunlight. You felt so calm, listening to Delphox's steady purring, mixed with the splashes and gentle crashing waves of the shimmering, crystalline ocean. After that (not tough) battle with the grunts, some relaxation sure would do you good. 

Would.

"Hey," a gruff voice spoke from above you. You cracked open one eye, seeing Delphox in a fighting stance, stick-wand drawn and flaming. You looked to where Delphox's eyes were locked on to, seeing a white haired young man looking back down at you. You didn't even flinch under his piercing, gray eyed stare, merely grunting in irritation. "Hello," you passively greeted, making sure to dodge his heavy skull-chain necklace as you (with great sadness) lifted yourself up from the blanket to get a better look at the stranger. As noted before, he had unmanaged snow white hair that sprouted everywhere, resting on them a strange pair of sunglasses. His fair face had lowered eyebrows above slightly baggy, sunken in eyes. His mouth was in a thoughtfully pursed straight line. From his neck a gleaming golden skull chain hung over a white shirt and black jacket that cut off at the elbows, followed by black slacks and white sneakers. You even spotted a mauve skull tattoo on his arm, black and white wristbands around the wrist of his other.

Your first thought was; 'Man, this guy sure has an interesting sense of style,' followed by 'how long does it take him to get ready every morning?' then '...He must really like skulls.' But as you got a closer look at him, you began to think you were delusional; in the back of your head, he seemed very handsome to you. How? You didn't know, and immediately shut up that small part of your brain.

Next to him was a curvy woman that also seemed in your age range, and too had a peculiar hair style; twin tails divided into two strands, one pink and one yellow (to you, they sort of looked like bananas, and you tried not to laugh upon realizing that), held up by skull barrettes. She had a sassy, lightly tanned face with sleek pink eyes (kudos to the mascara; not even you could pull off that good of makeup), and wore a black strapped croptop with white accents, followed by black shorts and shoes. 

You almost shrugged to yourself. 

'Well, at least her style isn't as funky as the other guy's.'

"You're _____," he pointed out. You nodded. "That's me," you blinked. 'A lot of people seem to know me around here,' you mused to yourself. 'But I really came here to get away from all the fame...' Exasperated, you propped your arms behind you, sending a questioning look to the strange man. He cleared his throat, growling the first part of his sentence. "Have a battle with me." You shrugged, pulling yourself up. That's when you realized that this man was tall. Like, TALL. He was at least half a head taller than you! "I'd hate to decline, but I'd love some rest right now, and so would my Pokemon.." Nervously, you beckoned to your Pokemon who were having so much fun. "Just do it, shortstack!" His eye twitched, snapping at you as you flinched, Delphox putting his arm between you and him. 

"It's alright, Delphox," you placed your arm on his, lowering it, sending it a calming gaze. Delphox's nose suspiciously twitched, crossing his arms. You looked up at Guzma with an unentertained face. "Alright, I'll do it. But let's be quick, alright? One Pokemon versus One Pokemon." The man smiled, shining a pearly white grin (that gave you butterflies- STOOOOP!), bringing out a single pokeball. You called over all your other Pokemon, returning them to their pokeballs (as they'd probably interfere in the battle if anything went sour), leaving Delphox out. "You ready?" Your eyes flickered to the stranger. "As ready as I'll ever be," he lowly chuckled. "Alright then, Mr...?" You trailed off, mouth quirking up in question. "Guzma," he said. "Alright then, Mr. Guzma," you finished. 

"Let the battle begin."

He sent out Golisopod (an Alolan pokemon you'd never seen before, but it appears to be bug). Which means... You have the advantage. Good; this'll be fast. "Delphox, quick! Flame wheel!" With vigor, Delphox drew its stick-wand, creating a circle of fire, shooting it at the Golisopod. "Dodge," uttered Guzma, as the Golisopod sluggishly moved to the right, part of the move hitting its arm. You were expecting the arm to be badly burned, but no; neutral! You hummed to yourself. 'Unusual,' you thought. 'It should've been super effective.' "Golisopod, use Hydro Pump!" Your heart lurched at 'Hydro Pump'; so that made sense. Water/Bug balances out the fire attack. Of course. "Delphox! Jump high!" Delphox, with the slightest nod, jumped up, the move just barely missing his feet. "Psyshock!" Delphox used its wand to summon multiple tiny power-charged rocks, sending them at Golisopod.

Your heart raced, bead of sweat forming at your forehead as you remembered the girl who accompanied Guzma; she stood silently at the sidelines, intimidating glare burning into your very soul.

You slightly smiled seeing the Psyshock end in a critical hit, taking out the Golisopod in one shot. Guzma merely grunted at his loss, walking over to you, with a trembling hand giving you a fair amount of money. "That was fun," you commented, watching Guzma retract Golisopod back to its pokeball. Guzma shrugged as the girl walked back to his side. "Who exactly are you two, anyway?" You offered a friendly grin. "Never seen anyone like you."

Guzma's posture seemed to straighten a bit as he largely pointed at himself. "Why, I'm glad ya' asked! I'm yo' boy Guzma; leader of Team Skull!" You nearly gasped at the sudden change of attitude. At first he seemed to be a pretty solitary guy, quiet and reserved; but now cocky and arrogant. "This here's my second in command Plumeria," he then pointed at her as she greeted you with a strong "Yo". "Team Skull?" You asked. "That's right, shorty," Guzma smirked. Your stomach lurched at the nickname. 'Team Skull... Sounds like a gang.' You suddenly remembered the grunts from earlier; how didn't you make the connection? "Wait a second," you paused. "You must be the commander of... Mr. Guzma, I might've fought your colleagues earlier." He snorted at 'colleagues'. "Fancy Kalos girl ya' are, _____! It's hilarious!" He guffawed.

Yup. This guy's like day and night. Sun and moon. Completely different guy from when you first looked up at him.

"Yup, I saw," he grinned as you pursed your lips. He watched you? That's sorta creepy. Your heart began racing more. "And those people were stealing pokemon. I can only assume you're a bad guy, I'd hate to say it," you stood up, grabbing your blanket, Delphox helping you roll it up. "Your point is?" He smirked. "My point is I may or may not attempt to disband your group. I strive for justice, and cannot stand pokemon thiefs." You kept your temper, shaking the blanket free of the soft and puffy Alolan sand. "Why'd you even want to battle me anyway?" You finally looked him in the eye, then leaning back in fear at seeing the almost predatory look in his eyes.

"Just a lil' experiment." His hands were dug into his pockets as he scuffed at the sand. You'd continue to pester this guy about how suspicious he's being, but you had no time for it. You obviously can't get any good R&R when this delinquent's around, and would have to move to another beach; perhaps on another island, or the small secluded one not far from your house. 'Maybe the next island would be alright,' you thought to yourself, turning away from Guzma, beginning to walk while taking out your dex. "Akala Island, huh..?" You muttered to yourself. "Girlie! Where 'ya goin'? I wasn't done talkin'!" You walked faster, before flinching as the girl spoke. "YO! Stop right where you are!" You nearly froze, slowly turning around as the pair lugged over to you. Guzma began talking again. "You're one interesting kid, I gotta say." Your face scrunched up. "I'm twenty," you began backing up again (but once again freezing remembering the girl). 

"I..." He trailed off, before shaking his head. You marveled at how his crazy hair managed to always stay up as it waved around when he shook his head. It was... Magical. "Guzma's out!" He turned around, holding up a hand, slightly waving, walking off with his other hand was still in his pockets as he strolled away. Plumeria took one last eerie long look at you, before swiftly turning around, walking after him. You slightly winced, shrugging, walking in the opposite direction (after picking up those berries Mimikyu collected; lunch time was soon!), sighing. Delphox quickened his pace to catch up to you, watching after the strangers to make sure they were leaving for good. 

Your Rotom Dex suddenly floated out of your hands as you gasped. "Heyyy, I need to see that map just a bit longer!" "Oh, zz-illy _____. I can lead you there! I'm like a GPS-zzz!" Your lips pulled up a bit as you relaxed. "Well, I guess." The Rotom Dex turned its back to you as it began happily floating, even buzzing and beeping a happy little tune, before speaking again. "So from here we enter Hau'Oli zzz-ity, then the Marina. It'zz not far at all!" You wistfully smiled at the good news. "Great. I just want to relax as soon as possible. That's my goal." Rotom Dex idly chitter chattered to itself about some random pokemon facts as you dazed off, wondering who exactly this 'Guzma' guy was.

Many people have randomly asked you for battles before (because who doesn't want to battle the Champion (of Kalos, anyway)?), but this guy stood out; from his crazy hair, to the way he spoke. If you never saw him again, you wouldn't mind, but you just couldn't help but wonder who this 'Team Skull' leader was. Your attention drifted back to the ever-so-knowledgeable Rotom Dex in front of you, who continued to spout random facts about pokemon. "_____! Did you know Mimikyu doe-zzn't like the sun? _____! Did you know that if you look under its costume it's rumored you get a curse? _____! DID YOU KNOW-" "Rotom, I need to ask you something," you interrupted it, apologetically smiling. "Azzzz-k away! The Rotom Dex knows all!" It comically swirled around you as you giggled. "What's 'Team Skull'?" "Looking up Team Skull!~" Rotom hummed as you heard some beeps coming from the sentient device. 

"Team zz-Skull; a gang of delinquen-tzz that inhabit the Alola Region! Goal: Collect all Buggium Z. Team zz-Skull usually steals Pokemon, the reason is unknown. Admin: Plumeria. Leader: Guzma-" "Okay, that's enough," you frowned. "What did I even expect..." You trailed off, shoving your hands into your pockets (before taking them out right after; doing that reminded you of Guzma). "You ex-zz-pected zzz-omething?" Rotom Dex turned around, floating backwards as a mischevious smile appeared on its... Face? Screen? You just looked to the left, pursing your lips. "I'm not sure." Rotom Dex almost barked (or beeped) out in laughter. "Do you LIIIIKE HIM-" You walked faster, passing the dex. "You're the most immature piece of artificial intelligence I've ever seen," you spoke with a bland voice, despite the small smile that appeared on your face.

"I could never like someone that steals Pokemon. I'm not crazy." You cracked your knuckles. "If anything, my goal... At least, after getting a good rest, will be to take down Team Skull." Your smile disappeared, upset frown replacing it as you tilted your head towards the cloudless blue sky in thought. "Evil will not be tolerated." "Oooh, zz-SPOOKY!!!" Rotom Dex laughed as Delphox fought the urge to hit it out of the air. 

You took a deep sigh, looking back to the path in front of you, seeing the Marina near.

"Let's just go already."


	4. hate chase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet two new characters in Po Town.

chapter 4 - hate chase

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, GUZMA!?" Guzma erratically pulled at his hair, once again sitting upon his throne in Po town. "There really is somethin' wrong with 'ya, Guz," Plumeria muttered, once again tapping away at the near-defective box computer. "That chick is crazy," she huffed. "Crazy powerful," Guzma retorted. "Gettin' defensive?" Plumeria almost laughed, before angrily smashing the keyboard (for the 5th time). "I dunno was' wrong with me," Guzma twiddled his thumbs, grunting a frustrated sigh. "I swear! She's the most annoyin' person I've ever seen!" Plumeria lowly smirked, eye twitching while she continued to type. "Apparently yo' heart's tellin' 'ya somethin' different." And with that, the computer flickered to display a map on its screen.

"Akala Island," Guzma muttered. "Her next destination." He stood up, sitting down next to Plumeria as she showed him the map. "Hano Beach," his eyes narrowed in on the small beachfront. "Alright. I'm thinkin'..." Guzma stood up, clearing his throat. "Ahem... AARON, ARIETTA, GET IN 'ERE!" Before you could say "Wampa", two kids scampered into the room, nearly kneeling at Guzma's feet. "Sir, yes, sir!" They chanted in unison. "What do you-" "Need?" They finished eachother's sentences. Guzma looked down at the twins; Aaron, whom had the standard 'grunt' look, blue hair and all, then Arietta, who looked identical to the standard female grunt; pink hair and all! They were only shorter, and had the same colored eyes; a brilliant clear green.

"Today's your first mission." Guzma slightly smiled as he saw the twins' eyes light up. "AWESOME!" They cheered, beginning to bust a move when Guzma stopped them. "You both will accompany Plumeria and I to Hano Beach and get the opportunity to challenge the Kalos Champion!" If their eyes could light up even more, they would've. "SOOOOO COOOOOL!" They were practically bounding off the walls with what can only be described as 'pure excitement'. "Wait..." Arietta drifted off. "Who's that?" Aaron finished. "_____. You'll be hearing her name a lot," he chuckled, leading them out the door. "_____'s a funny name," Arietta giggled as Aaron agreed.

"I'd rather say special," Guzma said to himself, as Plumeria shut the door behind them.


	5. that's me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You meet two new friends at Hano Beach.

chapter 5 - that's me

Your eyes sparkled as you found yourself at Akala Island, Heahea City. Endless shops were infront of you but you paid no mind to any of them, sights set on Hano Beach. You ran past the apparel and tourists shop, past Route 6, and straight through the Hano Grand Resort ("HEY! No running on Resort grounds!" "Sorry sir! Gotta go fast!) to find yourself at...

"Hano Beach!" With a sigh, you fell to the ground, maniacally giggling to find yourself at the wonderful paradise, making sand angels, rolling around without a care. After a good three minutes, you got up, dusting yourself to look at the area. It was a beautiful golden beach dappled by multiple auburn lounge chairs. It wasn't as busy as the Hau'Oli beachfront, but it had its own special kind of charm to it. You could see people throwing Pyukumuku back into the sea... A person riding on their Stoutland in the distance... Wild pokemon jovially frolicking near the shore. Yup, there's something about Alola that makes it so wonderful, and you didn't know what. 

"Alright." You brought out all your Pokemon as they already knew what to do, all disbanding at once to do their own thing. And as for you? Relax. With vigor, you hopped onto a lounge chair, taking out a pair of sunglasses, delicately placing them over the normal glasses you already wore, beginning to let the sun soak into your skin. "Maybe after this..." You quietly spoke to yourself. "I'll make lunch." You decided not to dwell on it too much and have the sultry sun melt all your troubles away.

Little did you know your relaxation was soon to end.

Again.

"Aaron, I think that's her," the twins peered at your resting figure over the Hano Resort railing. "Looks like it." Aaron brought a crumpled piece of notebook paper out of his pocket; a badly drawn picture of you, presumably drawn by Guzma. It was a simple stick figure picture of you with a smile on your face; odd, but strangely endearing. "It better be her," Aaron humphed, shoving the picture back in his pocket. "I really wanna impress Guzma!" "Me too," the siblings high fived as they jumped over the railing before one of the resort guards could chew them out for loitering. 

Like little ninjas, the pair crawled through the sand, evilly giggling with eagerness, eventually worming their way to your lounge chair.

They looked down at your sleeping form to the picture. 

"She doesn't have THAT nice eyelashes," Arietta tittered as Aaron shrugged. "Guzma's a weird guy. He even drew... Whass'at? A Delphox next to her?" Arietta took a closer look. "I thought that was a tree!" The two siblings giggled once more before putting the picture away again. Aaron crawled to the other side of you as they loomed over your body taking a deep breath. "BATTLE US!" They yelled in unison as you wildly flinched, the dozing Delphox behind you springing to life (as it had fallen asleep too), already prepared to fight. Your eyes, slightly sticky with sleep, rapidly flickered before focusing on the kids above you.

Lazily, you sat up rubbing your eyes. "Delphox," you yawned. "I had the craziest dream about Team Skull." You shook your head before opening your eyes again. "Oh, they're still here.." You closed your eyes again, rubbing them, before opening your eyes once more. "...Is this not a dream-" "Nope!" The girl giggled. "I'm Arietta!" The boy shoved her over, before triumphantly pointing at himself. "And I'm Aaron!" They scampered next to eachother, striking poses, before going to the normal one the Skull team did before you battled them. "And we are the Skull Siblings!" They highfived eachother ("We practiced that for so long." "That was AWESOME!") before turning back to you. "And we'd like you..." "To battle us!"

You were slightly in awe. They finished eachother's sentences... And were so tiny. Sure, they were part of Team Skull, but... "You guys are so CUTE!" You squealed, kneeling down on your lounge chair to get a better look at them. "Wha-?!" Aaron gasped as Arietta scoffed. "We are NOT cute!" They both said as you just 'aww'ed again. "This was almost worth waking up for." You called your Pokemon over (to their dismay, which you briefly apologized for), humming. "How about a multi battle? You both use one pokemon against two of mine." The two siblings looked at eachother before nodding, grins appearing under their bandannas. "Deal!" 

They both brought out a pokeball, Aaron sending out Minun, Arietta sending out Plusle. You 'aww'ed once more; they really were the perfect pair of siblings! You silently gushed as you sent out Mawile and Lucario. You didn't have the heart to go too hard on them, so before you sent the two pokemon to battle, you brought them close. "Hey," you whispered. "Go easy on them, alright? Tickle their ego a little." Your two faithful pokemon nodded, before turning around, running and jumping into battle stance. "You two can make the first move!" Your voice was high and enthusiastic, wild smile on your face.

These kids were just too cute.

"NAW, GRANDMA!" Aaron laughed. "YOU GO FIRST!"

Your smile didn't drop the slightest bit, laughing; they were funny, too.

"Alright! Lucario, toss Mawile!" Lucario picked up Mawile, launching it. "Mawile! Use faint attack!" Mawile was headed straight towards Plusle and Minun as it charged the attack. "Minun, helping hand!" Aaron called. "Plusle! Thunderbolt!" Arietta finished. Minun began glowing a blue aura as it passed the aura onto Plusle who unleashed a blue and yellow striped thunderbolt onto Mawile right before it hit them. "Woah," you cooed. "I see... Minun powered up the thunderbolt." Your eyes sparkled. "They're pretty smart!"

Mawile, with a grunt, picked herself off the ground, still slightly twitching with electricity. "Paralyzed," you commented. "Lucario, lay low and charge your Aura Sphere!" With a nod, Lucario began growing an Aura Sphere between his paws. "Mawile, use Fake Tears!" Mawile looked over at Aaron and Arietta, beginning to cry. "Oh no..." Arietta frowned. "Did we hurt it that bad?" She looked over to Aaron, who seemed frustrated. "It's just a move-" His eye twitched upon seeing even Plusle and Minun who were affected by the crying Mawile.

"Lucario, they're distracted! Now!" You pointed, as Lucario barked, shooting its Aura Sphere, directly hitting the Plusle and Minun. "Yeah, great job!" You cheered on your Pokemon as they seemed to cheer back themselves. "Wow," Aaron hummed. "She's good," Arietta agreed. "Lucario, Close Combat!" You commanded as Lucario began running at the two. "Mawile, follow it up with Iron Head!" "Plusle, Grass Knot!" Plusle summoned a long strand of grass, throwing the other end at Minun, who caught it. "Lucario! Watch out-" Too late; Lucario tripped over the grass wire. "Now, Plusle! Signal Beam!" "Minun, Encore-" Mawile, right in time to save the day, hit them with a critical Iron Head. And with that direct hit, the pair was out.

"Coooool..." The kids droned, before snapping out of it, running towards their pokemon. Before they could put them back into their pokeballs, you ran over to them. "Here, let me take a look at them," you helped Lucario up before sitting down infront of the fallen Plusle and Minun. The kids looked at you curiously as you brought revives and potions out of your bag, expertly nursing them back to health. "Might I say, you two are very great battlers," you grinned as Arietta blushed, looking away, while Aaron jubiliantly laughed, proudly puffing up his chest. "That was a lot of fun!" Your eyes widened as Plusle and Minun slowly rose, good as new.

"Great job, Plusle!" "Awesome work, Minun." The twins hugged their pokemon as you watched in awe. "Quite the bond you two have..." Tears were almost brought to your eyes. This was beautiful. "You're alright too, _____," Aaron said before Arietta hit him. "Wait, how do you know my name?" You raised an eyebrow before remembering you were the champion. Do kids these small keep up on the champions of different regions, though? You hummed in thought before shaking your head. "I'd love to battle again soon," you stood up, waving the kids goodbye, before thanking Lucario and Mawile for their work, letting them play once more. With a sigh, you found yourself relaxing on the lounge chair once more, eyelids fluttering back into a comfortable light sleep. 

Aaron and Arietta walked over to a distant part of the beach, talking lowly amongst eachother. "We tried being mean to her.." Aaron began. "But she just wouldn't stop being nice!" Arietta finished. "Did the boss wanna make her mad?" Aaron scratched his head as Arietta sighed. "There he is. Let's just ask him." They spotted Guzma who lay up against a bluff, sharp smokey eyes watching their every movement, Plumeria standing next to him. Finally, they were in front of him, ready to give their first report. "You two haddan' amazin' battle!" He stood up, grinning, ruffling their hair through their bandanas. "Aw, shucks, boss," Aaron smiled as Arietta giggled. "Really gave 'er a run for 'er money!" "Actually," Aaron frowned. "She told her pokemon to go easy on us-" "Don't tell him that!" Arietta scolded. "Really, now?" Guzma looked up to the sky in thought.

"And she even healed your pokemon afterwards.." He groaned, dragging his hands down his face. "Caring, stern, just... GUZMA, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" He pulled at his hair, deeply sighing. "She... Needs to join Team Skull." "WHAT!?" Plumeria flinched. "You just told me we were out here to mess with 'er!" Plumeria growled. "Well, yeah, that's one reason," Guzma pursed his lips. "But I was personally thinkin'. We need a strong member-" "I'm strong!" Plumeria whined. "A motherly someone-" "I-I can be motherly," Plumeria scoffed. "And a disciplinary figure-" "I'M DEFINITELY THAT!" Plumeria screeched. "Shut it Plum, I'm talkin' here," he snapped. "Sorry, boss," Plumeria sighed. "To maybe... Help me rule at my side." "But that's my job," Plumeria's fists clenched as she crossed her arms. "Your job is to be the admin. You make sure everyone does their job," Guzma pointed out. "I'm the one who gives them the jobs."

"But I started thinkin'." Guzma sat down again, leaning his back up against the hard rock, listening to Hano's waves infinitely crash down on the golden sanded beach. "What if I had a companion to help me do that? Someone that the team could look up to... Not as a big sista'," he looked at Plumeria, before looking at the sea again. "But like a mother." His eyes widened, hearing sniffles. "That was..." Aaron cried. "BEAUTIFUL!" They both wailed, both hugging a side of Guzma. "Aw." Guzma put his arms around them, pulling them in close. "Get over 'ere!" He once again ruffled their hair through their caps, chuckling, before standing up. "And I think I'm gonna invite 'er now." "YAAAAY!" The twins took his hands, leading him over to where you were.

...Were.

"But she was-" "Just here!" The twins mewled with dismay, pointing to your empty lounge chair. Guzma 'harrumph'ed, crossing his arms, looking up to the sky as the he noticed the sun nearing the horizon. "Almost 7. She must be off to home or somethin'." "But doesn't she live in Melemele? Iki Town? Thas' where you met 'er, right?" Plumeria tapped his shoulder, taking him back into reality. "I dunno. Agh! How're we gonna find 'er?!" Guzma's eyes flickered around, eventually spotting a woman riding a Stoutland. She was middle aged with slightly tanned skin. An ever-present smile graced her face as her eyes were wilted with wrinkles of happiness. "You!" He ran over to her. "You've been 'ere all day, haven't ya? Uh... Ever seen 'dis girl with.. Uh, this kinda hair... Nice face.. Good at battling? Was on a lounge chair?" The woman on the Stoutland hummed, looking to the left and right in thought. "Ah! I do remember someone like that battling two kids earlier! Oh, I see them over there. They put on quite a fight." The woman waved at Aaron and Arietta as they brightly waved back. 

"Do you know where she went?" Guzma's voice was hopeful as he looked up at the woman. She stifled a laughter. "What a look of love and passion in your eyes. I once was like that.." She wistfully looked off into the ocean as Guzma choked on his words. "Buh-WHAT? Just tell me where she went, will 'ya?" He angrily stomped the ground as the woman laughed. "I saw her go in the direction of the nearest Pokemon Center." Guzma wildly looked around. "And where's that? Geez, that stupid Kalosian girl knows Alola better than I do!" The woman pointed out as Guzma's head followed her finger. "It's past Hano Grand Resort, in Heahea City." Guzma nodded. "Arright, thanks," he looked at the others who nodded back. "Let's go!" And with that, Guzma and the others were off in a flash. ("No running on resort grounds-" "I DO WHAT I WANT!") 

The woman happily chuckled as Stoutland began quietly barking. "Did you find something, Stoutland?" The Stoutland sneezed, picking up a piece of paper. The woman took the paper from its jaws, opening it up. On it was scrawled "Plan". Under it was a crudely drawn picture of a man and woman, him with a crown, her with a tiara. She had notably extravagant eyelashes and a... Tree? Next to her? Next to the man were two short looking people and a tall girl with banana looking hair, and everyone was smiling. She folded the paper, eyes once again wrinkling with a delighted giggle. "Young love..."

And she rode her Stoutland off into the sunset.


	6. hello holo and cook to delight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You reconnect with Kalos friends.

chapter 6 - hello holo and cook to delight

"Thanks for letting me stay here!" You grinned at Nurse Joy who happily smiled back. "It's no problem! I've heard a lot about you from the Nurse Joys in Kalos, and I couldn't be happier to house you." "Hehehe.." You couldn't help but laugh. Tonight you were fixing Linner (or lunch-dinner) for everyone in the Pokemon Center with the berries Mimikyu brought you. The whole crew was out and about, bumbling around in the center's kitchen. Primarina was washing all the fruits while Lucario cut them up. He'd pass them on to Mimikyu, who brought them to you to make into food. You were thinking of making a human and pokemon friendly salad. 

"Mawile! Could you take these Pecha berries to Delphox?" Mawile nodded as you handed her a basket full of Pecha berries. She scampered off to find Delphox who was making a small fire on the stove. Putting them over the fire, Delphox effortlessly toasted the berries after putting a stick through them, making them into a kabob, handing it back to Mawile, who ran back, handing it to you. "Thank you!" You patted Mawile on the head as it nuzzled into your hand. Happily, you placed it on a bed of herbs soaked in honey. "And the final touch..." You took a grater to the edge of an oran berry to give it the zing; the kick that it needed! "Voila! Perfect." You sweetly gazed down at the finished meal. Toasted pecha berry kabob over honey glazed herbs. Perfect.

"First dish goes to the wonderful Nurse Joy!" You danced over to the ever busy nurse as she happily accepted the meal. She took a deep breath in. "Wow.. It smells absolutely heavenly!" The Pokemon Center by now was flooded with a sweet, warm, but most of all fruity aroma. "Try it," you urged her on. The Nurse took a bite, instantly beaming. "It tastes heavenly, too! Wow.." She delicately but quickly finished the plate as you watched with pride. "Where did you learn to cook like that?" She even took up a notepad. You shyly pushed down the notepad, grinning. "Someone I know back in Kalos. He taught me a few Alolan dishes before I left." "He?" Nurse Joy's eyebrows wiggled as you sighed. "Calem. You've heard about him." Nurse Joy's eyebrows raised in realization, lightly gasping. "Oh, Calem! Famous Kalosian chef!"

You remembered Calem; your old rival. Eventually he accepted his fate in never beating you, and focused more on cooking instead of battling. You two (despite your rivarly) kept in touch and would share recipes and cooking techniques. You giggled, remembering one time you completely covered his kitchen in flour while learning how to make macaroons. To think, you once were a horrible chef! "Yes, those were wonderful times, but I must move on. Alola was just calling me," you walked back into the kitchen. "Besides, he said he was gonna visit me sometime soon. He said he had always wanted to come to Alola." You continued on with your cooking, eventually making enough meals for all your pokemon and yourself. 

Happily, you munched on the kabob, then the herbs, washing it all down with some tropical lemonade. "Ahhh~" You put the dish in the sink to clean later before falling into one of the Center's chairs, sinking into its silky soft cushioning. "I hope he does soon. It's so lovely, Alola... Ahuhu~" Your eyes closed in bliss as you heard Nurse Joy giggle. "I'm glad you're enjoying it here so much. Maybe it'll be your new permanent home?" You shook your head, keeping your eyes closed. "Mmm.. Nah. I can never forget Kalos. I have too many friends there, like Korrina and Shauna..." You drifted off before gasping, eyes shooting open. "And SHAUNA! Oh my goodness! Ahhh!" You fished your Holo Caster out of your bag. "What's that?" Nurse Joy asked. "Oh, something from Kalos. It's a hologram telephone; really neat." Your Rotom Dex suddenly flew out of your bag. "Can it talk, though? Like me?" It rotated its body, trying to mimic the tilting of a head. "No," you mused, as Rotom Dex laughed. "I am zz-superior!" You opened the Holo-Caster to find numerous missed calls. Two from Shauna, one from Calem. You began to see the first one.

Shauna's familiar face and bright smile flickered onto the Holo Caster. "Hey, _____!" She waved. "How's Alola? I know, you're probably on the plane while this is sending and your Caster is off, but I can't help but leave a message!" A small smile quirked at the edge of your lips. That was so Shauna of her. "Make sure to turn on the Caster as soon as you finish unpacking and tell me how it is! Oh, who am I kidding, you'll never turn it on, and never hear me tell that to you!" She highly laughed. "Oh well. Even if you do, there's the time difference, so I'd probably be asleep by then..." She drifted off into a small hum. "But make sure to call me back soon anyway! Okay, byebye!~" The Holo Caster made a beep, signalling the message has ended.

Nurse Joy nodded with approval. "Technology is getting so advanced these days it's a little scary," she nervously laughed, as you winced. "I guess." You clicked on the second one. Shauna flickered on screen. "Hi _____!" She waved again. "Just checking in again. Wanted to let you know everyone's asking how you are! Tierno's really jealous, actually, haha. He said something about getting to 'see all the hawaiian dancers'? Trevor's been asking about the Alolan pokemon, too. He wanted to know if you could catch him an Alolan pokemon!" You rolled your eyes on Tierno's comment, stifling a small laugh. "And as for Calem, he said he'll visit in a week or so, but if you come across any emergency, he said he'd be there.." She cleared her throat, trying to mimic Calem's deeper and more accented voice. "'Faster than you can say un, deux, trois!'" You couldn't hold back your laughter anymore as her impersonation sounds nothing like him.

"Then, me... Well, I'm just happy for you. But please don't forget about me, your poor and lonely best friend Shauna!" She faked crying. "Maybe when Calem comes down to visit you he'd take the rest of us with him..." She sighed, pensive look on her face. "I really hope so. We all miss you. Okay, byebye!~" The Holo Caster beeped. "I understand now," Nurse Joy said. "You do have dear friends in Kalos." You nodded at her words, warmly looking down at the Caster before tapping at the final message. You were greeted with Calem's face. "Bonjour, _____." You could hear Nurse Joy dreamily sigh in the background. You supposed his voice was nice; smooth and silky, delicious like the treats he'd make. You found yourself comparing it to the much more desirable gruff voice of Guzma- ...

You facepalmed.

Stop it, _____.

"I hope you're enjoying your time in Alola. Shauna's been calling you nonstop, I'm sure you've seen the messages. Seeing her enthusiasm, mixed with my own feelings, inspired me to call you. Send pictures; I heard it's beautiful in Alola. Besides, I'd like to see your face again." There goes Calem, as smooth as his voice. "As you've probably heard in one of Shauna's messages I'm planning on visiting soon. Perhaps for a week or so... Those plane tickets are expensive and it would be a huge waste to come down for just a day..." He nodded. "I'd like to know what your thoughts on it are. Bonne journee, mon amour~" And the Caster let out three beeps; all the calls were listened to. You never understood why Calem spoke French; you didn't even know it! ..Is that why he does it? Your eyebrows knitted together in thought. Oh well. "So you said that was the 'Holo Caster'?" Nurse Joy asked. "That's right." "Where can I get one?" You bit the bottom of your lip. "Well... I think I got mine from Lysandre.." You shrugged. 

"Eh. On a slightly related note, it's only fair that I send them a message back." You called Shauna, letting it ring, before leaving a message. "Hello, Shauna!" You waved to the camera. "I made it safely to Alola, and I've already made a lot of new friends!" You tilted the camera to Nurse Joy who shyly covered her face with her hands. "That's the local Nurse Joy, who graciously let me spend the night in the center." "Oh, you," she gushed. You thought of what else happened today. "Well... Right!" You focused the camera back on yourself. "I met two really cute kids today. I battled them. They're a part of 'Team Skull'. 'What's that?' I magically hear you say. It's just an Alolan group of thugs; sort of have the same motives as Team Rocket, but something's a bit different about them. I actually met their leader." Nurse Joy laughed. "Oh, pshh, Guzma?" You ignored Nurse Joy, continuing. "That's right; his name is Guzma. He's got this really crazy hair... Deep, gruff voice... Really.." You were about to say 'handsome' when Nurse Joy giggled behind you. "I think that's it. That's everything. Please forward this message to Calem. Alright, Alola!~" You turned off the Holo Caster as Nurse Joy snickered. "You only say 'Alola' as a greeting." You sighed. "I'm Kalosian. I'm learning."

"Alright," you yawned. "I'm gonna head to the guest room and get ready for bed. If anyone comes asking for me, tell them I'm not here. I'm not in the mood for any battles." Nurse Joy nodded as you found your way into your guest room. You slipped off your shoes upon walking in, sending out your pokemon so they could amble around and explore as they pleased. You knelt on your bed, placing your hands on the windowpane, looking through the shiny glass above it. "Wow..." You exhaled, accidentally fogging the glass up. You were about to rub it away when a furry paw did it for you. "Oh, Delphox." You didn't notice your pokemon companion sitting next to you. "Came out to see the sunset?" He nodded as you smiled, turning back to the gorgeous scenery. "..It's gorgeous, isn't it?" Delphox slightly purred in agreement. Your eyes lingered on the burning red sun as it sunk into Hano's glistening orange waves. "..I remember this saying that mom and dad taught me. I think it goes like this..." You cleared your throat. "I bet you don't know why the sun turns red." You looked at Delphox who shook his head. "Well.. Light is made up of so many colors, but red is the one that travels the farthest." You looked at Delphox's red ear fur, scratching it affectionately. "I don't know why they told me that, and why I remember it, but it always stood out to me." Delphox only sniggered at you as you rolled your eyes, small smile appearing on your face. "Yeah, pretty cheesy, I know."

It was a silent but understanding sunset. Before you knew it, the beautiful crescent moon had risen, gleaming in the deep navy sky. Millions and millions of stars encircled the moon, glittering with such an inspiring passion. "Amazing." You and Delphox flinched upon hearing a loud 'CLANG' from the kitchen. "Sorry! Just me!" Nurse Joy's voice echoed into your room. "Need any help?" "No, it's fine!" You exchanged a wary glance with Delphox before shrugging. "Delphox, please round up the others. I believe it's time to rest." Delphox saluted you as an answer, leaving the room. In that time you quickly changed into your pajamas before your pokemon arrived back in your room. "Return," you said, as beams of crimson light filled the room, before dissolving away with the physical forms of your pokemon. You picked up their capsules, hugging them close, whispering a small "thank you" before placing them in your bag.

Quietly, you slipped into your bed, entering a comforting sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love receiving feedback.. Thanks for all the wonderful comments. They make me so happy.


	7. ethereal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You dream of your past.

chapter 7 - ethereal

At thirteen years of age, you should've known better.

"Lillipup, wait!" You and your family were on Friday afternoon walk when your recently rescued Lillipup began barking and growling at a passing blonde woman across the street. All of a sudden, the Lillipup crossed the street as a car was racing towards it. "Come back!" You cried, running after it. "_____, no!" Your parents both followed you onto the street, you grabbing Lillipup right before your parents pushed you out of the way...

Getting hit by the car.

You gasped, whirling around, seeing the crash happen, wishing you hadn't. In that one small moment you found yourself regretting every choice you had ever made; every choice that had led you up to this point. "Why..." You could only quietly utter as you trembled. Your arms loosened as Lillipup growled and yipped at the stranger behind you, before she pushed him away. You never saw Lillipup again past that point. You flinched, feeling a boney hand on your shoulder. You looked up, eyes looking straight into another pair that were shimmering peridot green. She offered you her hand as you hesitantly took it, letting her help you up. Instead of asking you were okay, she shook her head. "Get your act together," was all that she said, before walking away.

You would never forget what she said, despite the fact you didn't remember much about her.

Something else you would never forget was her shining, ethereal beauty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to say this a lot.. But thanks for the comments. My chest swells with happiness whenever I read them.


	8. stuck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You eat breakfast with some friends.

chapter 8 - stuck

You woke up with a jump.

...Another ominous flashback for a dream. Great.

Your life was slowly turning into a cliche.

You yawned, rubbing your eyes, getting up to stretch. "Ahh.." You took in a deep breath, going to check on your pokemon, walking over to your bag, heart freezing. Where were they? You were only greeted by your wallet (which still had all your Poke in it, thankfully). "Where..?" They couldn't have let themselves free. You rushed into the main part of the center. "NURSE JOY! MY POKEMON ARE-" You nearly crashed into her as she gasped. "_____, sit down! They're fine!" "They are?" You saw she set up a big table at the side of the center, plates full of food on it. "We made you breakfast!" She smiled. "Wow, thanks!" Some of your pokemon were seated at the table (others on the floor) as they waved. "You all made all this?" You inhaled the delicious smell of breakfast food. "No, there's actually a few more people." She beckoned to a chair at the end of the table.

"...Guzma?" Your eyes widened at seeing his face at the end of the table. "And Plumeria." She was seated to his left. "Don't forget us!" The two twins called, sitting next to Plumeria. Guzma patted the empty seat to his right. "C'mon, have a seat." You gawked, until looking down, remembering you were in your pajamas. "Ah-! Let me get changed first-" "No need to get dolled up, ya' look fine." He waved it off as you a nervous noise gurgled at the back of your throat, before you left to sit next to him. "They were here since last night," Nurse Joy mused as Guzma scoffed. "Don't tell 'er that," he said in a hushed tone, as Nurse Joy only laughed more. "So I invited them in. I served them some of the leftovers you cooked last night, _____, I hope you don't mind." "They were DELICIOUS," Aaron cheered, as Guzma grabbed at his hair. "She's even a good cook," he muttered. "Who?" You looked at him as he just shook his head. "Don't mind me. Jus' eat." You nodded, filling your plate with the delicious cheese and fruit in front of you. Silently, you thanked Arceus for your meal, before beginning to eat.

The cheese just melted right into your mouth. "You all did an amazing job on this," you grinned ear to ear as Nurse Joy smiled. "Thank you, _____! All though it doesn't really compare to what you cooked yesterday." "Oh, be quiet," you rolled your eyes, quickly finishing your plate. "Uh, Guzma, you gonna eat that?" Plumeria spoke up, gesturing to his plate; he hasn't eaten anything. "Oh- I am! 'Was just distracted." Plumeria grunted, taking some of his food. He didn't seem to care, eyes transfixed on you. You gulped down a slice of an Iapapa berry before turning to Guzma. "Can you please stop? It's a bit weird to have someone watch you eat.." Guzma just laughed. "Uncomf'terble? Get used to it. You'll be stuck with me for a while." You raised an eyebrow, beckoning for him to explain.

"I.. Ah, how do I say this..." He twiddled his thumbs together as Aaron and Arietta waved their hands in the air, seeming to cheer him on. Plumeria, on the other hand, did nothing, about to finish Guzma's plate. "Wanted to ask you if you'd join Team Skull." You dully looked at Guzma, who had a smirk (that somehow managed to look hopeful) on his face. His hand was out in front of you, as if shaking it would seal the deal. You only laughed, pushing his hand away. "Ahahaha! Ahhh... That's silly... What a funny joke, good one!" You clapped him on the back as he seemed crestfallen. "T'wasn't a joke, sweetheart," he quickly recovered. "Wait, really?" A large smile remained on your face. "What, we've only met once? Plus, isn't Team Skull all about stealing Pokemon? If I remember correctly, I said I'd DISBAND your team! Ohhh man.." You wiped a tear away from your face. "Cut me some slack, woman," Guzma seemed flustered, covering his face with his hands. "I'm bein' serious. You'd be our queen, an amazin' leader to Team Skull! Besides, who wouldn't wanna lead with the almighty, awesome Guzma?" He tried putting an arm around you as you continued laughing, pushing it away. "I'd have to decline. Although, you're making it awful hard to make me want to disband your group anymore." Your face went grave when you remembered he was the leader of thieves; the leader of a gang.

"I can't," the smile on your face was completely gone now as all humor in the room was drained. "Hm.." Guzma leaned his head on his fists, resting his elbows on the table. "I'll just continue to ask you." And the humor returned. Nurse Joy just sighed, exasperated. "Give it a rest, Guzma, she said no." You thankfully nodded to Nurse Joy. Guzma just shook his head. "_____ will be our queen. It'll happen, lemme tell 'ya!" Aaron and Arietta cheered as Guzma proudly smiled. You found your lips quirking upwards for a bit before slapping it off your face. "We'll see." "Yeah! She din't say no this time," everyone at the tables (except Plumeria) rumbled into laughter, going into their own separate chats. You saw Guzma chatting with Plumeria. 'Should I interrupt their conversation?' Your eyebrows lowered, before you sighed, tapping Guzma's shoulder. "'Ey, shortie!" He turned around, ruffling up your hair. Irritated, you combed it back into place, before smiling again. "I don't think we ever got to properly know eachother." You offered a hand as he looked down at it like it was gold. "I'm _____; champion of the Kalos region. Nice to m-" "I'm destruction in human form, right 'ere; your big bad boy Guzma!" He laughed, shaking your hand like no tomorrow as you fought the urge to scream.

Did he just call himself your 'big bad boy'?

You didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Or cry laughing!

"So," Nurse Joy said. "What're you gonna do after this?" She asked. "Oh.." You briefly pondered. "Explore the region a bit. Maybe visit, ah..." Rotom Dex suddenly floated into the scene. "Ula'Ula island?" "Yeah, Ula'Ula's beach after this, probably. Then after that, explore a bit more, and catch a pokemon for Trevor on the way. In those new places I could find nice training spots to take Calem. Oh, and I've heard there's a lot of clothing shops, too! I'd like to find some that I could visit with Shauna." Guzma seemed bewildered at all these new names as Nurse Joy tilted her head. "There are a lot, but they're no where near as classy or uptight as the ones in Kalos! Would they fit your standards?" Your eyes briefly flickered at Guzma before you smirked. "I don't have standards." He gasped, unsure how to feel. "Wha-?" He looked to the twins who just mischeviously giggled. "Girls," grunted Guzma. "An enigma." "Agreed," huffed Aaron, before Arietta shoved him. 

"Well, once again, I deeply thank you all for this meal." You picked up your plate along with your pokemons', placing them in the kitchen sink, briefly washing them. While you were at it, you changed back into your normal clothes, grabbing your bag, walking back into the center's main room. "Today's gonna be a long day." "What, leavin' already?" Guzma frowned. You only cheekily nodded, pokemon following after you. "I gotta do some exploring." "Ahem, WE," your Rotom Dex corrected. "We is right!" Guzma stood up, followed by Aaron, Arietta, and reluctantly, Plumeria. "We've decided we're travelling with you." You were getting a little annoyed instead of amused at this point. "I don't get any say in this? I-" Rotom Dex floated past you, taking a picture of everyone. "Updating party members..." Plumeria tried shying away from the camera, but to no avail. Arietta put up peace signs. Aaron did a rapper pose. For Guzma's picture, he speedily ran at you, putting his arm around you for the picture. "Hey-" your eyes widened. "zz-Say chee-zz-e!" Rotom happily took the picture as you sighed, giving up. "Registering.." Rotom made a few beeps before victoriously spinning. "Finished!~" You deadpanned. "I thought you were supposed to be helpful." The Dex only roguishly giggled, floating out the center's automatic doors. "Well... Looks like I'm stuck with you guys." "And stuck fo' good," Guzma winked at you as you rolled your eyes, walking out the door. "C'mon, boss!" Aaron and Arietta took his hands, chasing after you. Plumeria just looked back at Nurse Joy who offered a sympathetic frown. "I understand," was the only thing that Nurse Joy said before Plumeria turned around, fighting tears.

"Thanks."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYIBsL9abNM


	9. boat buddies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You board a boat, then learn a bit more about the Skull Siblings.

chapter 9 - boat buddies

It was a fresh and sunny morning. All but Delphox have returned to their pokeballs that were safely stowed away in your bag. "Ahhh~ What a beautiful day!" You stretched in the shining sunlight. "It's nice to finally get this kind of weather. I've always wondered what it was like," Arietta took off her cap, letting the rays directly hit her magenta hair. "I thought all places were always raining." Aaron followed her actions, also taking off his hat. "Always.. Raining?" You raised an eyebrow. Aaron frowned. "Po Town, our home. It's always cloudy and raining there. Not sure why, but it just always is." "Aw," you frowned, before smiling again. "Well, you're here now, in the sunshine. I'm sure the sun's shining today just for you two!" You couldn't help but kneel down and pinch the kid's cheeks. "Hey-" "Ah!" They gasped, before shaking it off, laughing. "We're almo-zz-t there," Rotom Dex told you, displaying his map. "We're halfway through Heahea City, almo-zz-t to the terminal!" "Thank you, Rotom," you said, as the Dex proudly saluted you before turning around. 

"How old even are you two?" You looked down at Arietta and Aaron. "We're in 8!" "And 9," Arietta grinned, Aaron crossing his arms. "Ah. I remember when I was your age." You happily reminisced about the good ol' times before... THE ACCIDENT. "Ah.." Your smile melted into a frown. "Somethin' up, shortstack?" Guzma's pace quickened, as he was now next to you, placing his hand on your head (probably to remind you of how short you were, that hecking Guzma!). "Just remembering the ol' days." "Was your past, uhh.." He looked around. "Not as bright as 'da sunshine?" You slightly smiled. "No need for attempting to be poetic about it, but I suppose you're right. My haunting past always comes back to me in my dreams!" You wiggled your fingers, making an 'ooo' sound, trying to lighten up the mood. "Spooky.." You laughed to yourself. "But, when I was thirteen, I chased after a pokemon. Crossed the road. Parents went after me and now they're dead." "Ah," Guzma nodded. "I'm always so irked by what I remember last, though. A tall and beautiful woman was there... And.." You shrugged. "Well," Guzma said. "Suck it up, cupcake!" He clapsed you on the back as your eyes widened. "'Past is in the past. Besides, you've got me now, and a family sticks together!" "WH- FAMILY?" You pried his hand off your back as he laughed. You ran ahead. "Oh, ahah, I think that's the terminal! Gotta go fast! Seeya!" You dashed off to the marina with a slightly pink face. Rotom Dex floated in front of you, smarmy smirk on its digital face. "Remember when I zz-said you liked him-" "Shut your inexistent mouth, robot!" You barked. Finally, you were inside, and soon after, the others flooded into the marina, boarding the boat, and you were off! 

With childish delight, you ran to the edge of the boat, laying your hands on the cold railing. You sighed, relishing the feeling of the salty sea air blowing in your face. You took a deep breath, smiling; the air slightly tasted like fish! You spread your arms out, closing your eyes. "I'm flyyyying..." You heard a high mocking voice behind you. You ignored it, already knowing who it was. "I'm flying, Jack-" "Guzma, stop. Let me enjoy myself." "Let me enjoy myself too! It's hard ta' have fun when your queen keeps pushin' 'ya around." You whipped around. "I am not a queen! Your queen, even less." Guzma's smile only grew. "I won't leave 'ya alone, _____. 'Ya seem like the lonely type." He seemed more genuine this time, but you continued to ignore him, rummaging through your bag, before bringing out your Holo Caster. "I'm not lonely! I have friends... here, see." You turned on your caster, calling Shauna. "Fancy," laughed Guzma.

To your surprise, she picked up. "Hello?" Yawned a tired, delicate voice. Shauna had a simple pink nightgown on, pigtails down. She sleepily rubbed at her eyes. You chuckled. "_____!" At your voice, she seemed to completely wake up. "I got your message, and so did Calem! I'd add him to the call, but he needs his rest." You frowned. "Oh no, did I wake you up?" "Nah," Shauna waved it off. "Hey, who's that?" She craned her neck, trying to see behind you (but to no avail as you were just a hologram to her). "Crazy hair... Is this that Guzma you told me about?" He walked up next to you. "Been gossipin' about me, _____?" "I only mentioned you once," you defended. "And who's this?" He raised an eyebrow at the caster. "My good friend from Kalos, Shauna." "Well, it's nice to meet you, Shanie!" He offered a hand as she weirdly looked down on it (once again, holograms), before doing a strange air handshake with him. "It's Shauna, not Shaw-nee." "Whatever you say, Shiny." 

"He certainly is... 'Special'," Shauna winced as you nervously laughed. "Aw, 'ya even called me special," Guzma ruffled up your hair. "I didn't mean it in the good way. Moving on, tell Calem and everyone I said 'good morning' when they wake up, okay?" Shauna nodded, waving, before her hologram disappeared. "Aww," Arietta whined. "We didn't even get to introduce ourselves!" You looked down, seeing the twins hugging your legs. "It's alright," you patted their heads in attempt to comfort them. "She'll be visiting soon with few friends." "A few friends?" Guzma asked. "Tierno, Trevor, Shauna, and Calem." Guzma simply fell silent (to your delight and surprise), going into deep thought. Aaron seemed in a happy daze. "So many things have happened in a few days! Our first mission, finally feeling sunshine... And now new friends!" You sadly looked down at the siblings. 'They don't get out much, do they?' You'd have to invite them to Kalos sometime. Show them a real view from the Prism Tower! After asking their parents, of course. "Aaron, Arietta, how would you two like to go to Kalos someday?" "That would be-" "SO COOOOOL!" 

Guzma seemed to phase out of his thoughts. You brightly looked down at the kids. "Is that a yes?" "Well, duh!" "definitely!" You chuckled. "I'd have to ask your parents, then." They seemed confused at this. "What's a..." "Parents?" Aaron turned to Guzma. "Is that like a boss?" Guzma winced, as he pat your shoulder, whispering. "I need to talk to 'ya alone." You nodded, turning to the kids. "Here, talk to Rotom Dex while I'll be right back." "YOU CALLED?" The Rotom Dex floated out of your bag as you left it with the siblings, walking away. 

Guzma took you to the other side of the boat. "I jus' wanted to clarify some things. 'See, Aaron and Arietta grew up in this crazy facility place.. Long story short, when they turned 4, the facility began experiments on them, so their mom called out 'ta me. She wanted me to take 'em in and keep 'em safe. I've done a good job of keepin' 'em outta trouble so far, but... Keep a close eye. The facility's still searchin' for 'em. Thought you should know.." "Oh. My deepest thanks for your sharing of information. I will definitely do my best to keep those charming devils safe." Guzma just snorted, trying to mimic a French accent. "'I will definitely do my best!' Hahaha, you're hilarious!" "That's not what I sound like! Do I even have an accent?" "Well, you're, uh... Kah-low-see-un?" "Kal-oh-shun. And not all Kalosians have accents!" "My bad," Guzma cheekily shrugged. The announcer suddenly spoke over the intercom. "Next stop, Ula'Ula island! Be ready to get off at your next stop!" "All right." You and Guzma walked back out to the front of the boat. 

"Wow, you really know everything, Rotom!" Arietta gushed as the Rotom Dex triumphantly laughed. "Thank you, thank you!" It mock-bowed left to right. You walked into the scene. "Okay, that's enough, Rotom." "Awww." The kids' eyes sparkled with sadness as you felt a tugging remorse. "If you heard the intercom, though, we'll be in Ula'Ula island soon! A new place to make new memories in!" Arietta gasped. "You're right!" "Oooooh!" Aaron ran to the boat railing. "I can see it! There it is!" A lush, green island was nearing. On it was a towering, deep auburn volcano-looking mountain. "Beautiful." You smiled as the announcer spoke one final time.

"We have reached Ula'Ula island!"


	10. mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You meet the woman of your dreams.

chapter 10 - mother

Everyone got off the boat except for you. You walked over to the boat driver, peeking in the room. He swiveled in his chair, facing you. "Do you need something?" He had ebony hair that just drifted over his deep brown eyes. He had tan skin. On top he wore a sky blue button up, floral patterns splayed here and there on it. Over that was draped a rainbow lei. On the bottom were plain black khaki shorts and flip flops; the final piece to his attire was a sailor's cap. You almost shied out of the room. "Oh, no, I just wanted to thank you for driving the boat, that's all... Oh, and sir! What's your name?" He tapped his fingers against the arm of his chair. "..Jayden." "Thank you, Mr. Jayden!" And with that you skipped off the boat.

"Ahh, Malie City!" You brightly looked around at the gray, yet beautiful city. To your right, you could see a beautiful, lush area, accompanied by a lake. "Rotom!" You called. "Yes-zz?" Your Rotom Dex flew out of your bag, next to you. "What's that?" You pointed at the place. "Malie Garden, zzt!" You slightly smiled, looking at the nice garden. "I want to go there soon.." This place had a slightly different feel than the other places you've been. Instead of feeling more like a wild community, this felt more like an organized association. Malie's air tasted fresh and busy. Many people were out upon the perfectly cemented pavement. People were at street shops, apparel places... Some people performed with their pokemon on the streets for some spare Poke!

"Awesome!" Aaron ran into the street. "Ah, wait!" You grabbed his hand, pulling him back before a hoard of Tauros trampled across the street, out to near the terminal. You heard a sigh of relief from behind you. You turned around, seeing Plumeria with her eyes wide, hand outstretched. You both made eye contact before she looked away, flustered. "Good job," you heard Guzma say, hand firmly placed on your shoulder. You saw Plumeria visibly stiffen, glaring daggers into you. You winced, turning back around. More Tauros trampled through the streets, all coming from one point. You pointed at that point. "Rotom, where's that?" The Rotom buzzed and beeped. "Hmm.. It zz-seems that direction leads-zz to Route 11." "I wonder what's happening over there," your hands fidgeted together. "Let's check it out, yo!" Guzma smiled, leading you all down the sidewalk. "Would it be safe?" Guzma scoffed at your words. "You're forgetting the big bad Guzma's here to protect y'all!" He largely pointed at himself with both thumbs as you rolled your eyes.

Eventually, your group reached Route 11. A womanly, loud voice called out a strong "Clefairy, Moonblast!" as you raised an eyebrow. Guzma seemed to hold his breath, him and Plumeria hiding the kids behind themselves as you began to lead the group, cautiously entering the scene. You gasped, eyes widening, nearly falling to your knees. "Whas' wrong?" Guzma came up behind you. "Her." With a shaky finger, you pointed at a lady faithfully battling a Tauros (well, 'battling isn't the word you'd use)... She was tall, thin, and beautiful. Flat, platinum blonde hair shone like gossamer, that flowed with infinite energy in the non-existent breeze, cut blunt and straight at the middle of her calves. She wore a gleaming white dress that went down to the thigh, yellow fringing the ends; collaring her neck a golden crescent band. A thin black and cobalt diamond encrusted the chest of her dress. Under it were worn white tights, striped black on the sides. On her feet were tall black and navy high heels that looked like if they kicked you, your leg would break on contact. But what got you the most irked... The most shocked... Were her shimmering, peridot green eyes.

"You..." Your voice was reduced to a pathetic rasp. Guzma nudged the kids to Plumeria, telling her to take them back a bit. He then turned back to you. "Lusamine, Aether Foundation's president; president of that facility I told 'ya about earlier. 'Crazy woman." His words nearly went right through your ears as you shook your head, coming back to the task at hand. Lusamine was hitting the Tauros over and over again with the Moonblast, Tauros weakly crying out for help. Other Tauros were trying to help the poor pokemon, but were either too afraid to help or were almost knocked out trying. As a result, all the Tauros ran away. "So that's why..." Your fists angrily clenched. Shaking, you mustered up all the courage you had, calling out."Stop!" Your voice awkwardly cracked as you quickly pulled your hands up to your mouth. With a sharp snap, Lusamine looked at you. As soon as your eyes met, you shivered, memories harshly coming back. Her piercing stare seemed to bore through your eyes, and into your brain; as if by merely looking at you, she could read what you were thinking. 

..You prayed that wasn't true.

"Clefairy, stop," Lusamine said. The Clefairy shortly looked at her, nodding, ceasing the Moonblast. She then turned back to you. "You seem familiar." Her voice was as cold as you remembered it. She squinted her sleek eyes at you. "Familiar... I saw you in a magazine.. Ah! You're the Kanto...? No, Kalos champion. Ohoho! My years are getting to me!" She jollily laughed as you furrowed your eyebrows. You shook your head. 'Don't get intimidated..' "Lusamine! You must stop this! You're killing this poor Tauros!" You pointed at the Tauros, briefly looking at it, almost throwing up. The Tauros lay limp leaning up against a jutted rock, random limb twitching with pink fairy energy. "Just look at it," you whimpered. Lusamine's eyes burned with rage. "I am testing, do you not understand?" She boomed, as you shrunk in your place. "I am seeing the effect of excessive fairy type magic on Tauros! The more I know about pokemon, the more I can love them!" You kneeled, unable to stand, looking up to meet her eyes once more.

She looked down, straight back at you. "..That look of loss and sadness..." Something flashed in her eyes as she smirked. "You're the girl who killed her parents! I knew you were more than just the champion." "You killed your parents!?" Guzma shrieked. "No! I crossed the street, and they followed.. And saved me from getting hit by the car..." You shook and shivered uncontrollably, holding back tears. 'It's all my fault,' you could only think. 'It's all my fault.' Silence passed before Lusamine hummed. "You're not running away this time, though. Get up and we shall battle for the life of this Tauros! Show me how much you've grown up!" Shakily, you stood. "I will, and I'll win." Your voice, like your body, shook with sadness and trauma; but this time, it shook with determination. Lusamine only laughed at your feebleness. "We'll see." You brought out a pokeball; one that's been scratched up a lot. You ran your fingers across it, having memorized every chip and groove in it. "One pokemon versus one pokemon. We don't have much time." Lusamine nodded, bringing out her own pokeball. "May the most glamorous win!"

You tossed out your pokeball. "Go, Delphox!" Your Delphox sprang out of the pokeball, roaring a battle cry, paws flaming and ready to attack. Lusamine's smirk only grew as she sent out... A Milotic. It majestically cried out, voice like a melody, beautiful peach scales glistening in the bright sunlight. 'This pokemon.. Really suits her.' She sprang to the first attack. "Milotic, flail!" Milotic slithered through the sleek grass. You were slow to react, as Delphox tried dodging on its own, but to no avail. Milotic, with its long tail, whipped Delphox in the face multiple times. "Delphox," you cried out. "Forgive me.. I cannot be strong..." You felt like crying, before remembering to 'get your act together'. 

This battle was so much more than 'just a battle'.

You could see it in Lusamine's eyes. There was meaning behind this. This was a test.

You nodded, trying to show Lusamine you were indeed different. Time to use what you've learned so far in your life. "Delphox, Will-O-Wisp!" You were planning on having the Milotic dodge to one side, then cornering it into a Psyshock. "Milotic, jump up and towards Delphox!" Lusamine snickered. Your heart lurched as she saw through your plan. "Cornered! Now, Hydro Pump!" Milotic, still in the air, charged a strong Hydro Pump, firing it. "Quick, Delphox, use Substitute!" Delphox, just in the nick of time, brought up a substitute, before getting out of harm's way, Hydro Pump hitting the fake instead of itself. "Phew," you sighed, rubbing your forehead. 'Try something new, try something new,' you internally panicked. "Delphox, into the grass!" Your Delphox almost raised an eyebrow before remembering the urgency of the situation, diving into the tall grass. "Milotic, search! Hydro Pump upon sight!" Milotic's eyes glinted, scouring the patch of grass.

"Delphox, burn the grass." 'They won't see Delphox through the fire,' you thought. Heart pounding in your chest, you watched the grass erupt into flames. Slightly relieved you watched Milotic seem to get confused. "Now, Delphox! Psyshock!" Delphox pounced at Milotic from the front of the grass, floating heated stones coming from the fire. 'Hot rocks from the fire should do more damage.' The rocks mercilessly pelted Milotic as you almost fainted from your sheer anxiety that increased every second. "Milotic, Flail once more!" Lusamine seemed unfazed by the damage. The Milotic fiercely whipped itself around, Delphox hanging onto it, getting hit to the ground again and again. "Delphox, no! Let go!" At once, your Delphox let go, getting launched into the air. "Flail!" Milotic jumped up, smacking Delphox to the ground, it hitting said ground with a harsh 'crunch'. You gasped, seeing Delphox unmoving.

Lusamine watched with interest. "Delphox..?" You whimpered. Slowly, Delphox got back up, struggling. 'I mustn't back down.' You and Delphox together must brave through this. 'We can do it, we can do it, we can do it..' "Delphox, Will-O-Wisp!" You hoped this would work. "Milotic, charge at it for another Flail!" Perfect. "Delphox, jump up!" Delphox jumped, Milotic sliding under it, right into the flaming grass. "Flamethrower!" You called. Delphox did so, lighting the grass (and Milotic) on fire once more. "Great job! Now, Psyshock!" Delphox hit the Milotic with the attack easily, as Milotic couldn't see its way through the flames. "And finish it off with one final Psyshock!" "No," Lusamine called. "Get out of there, Milotic, and use Recover!" Milotic found its way out of the grass, shaking the flames off of it, before singing a little song, rays of light hitting it. You watched with horror as its scratches and burn marks began to fade away. "Oh no.." Your heart lurched.

"No!" You refused to give up. "Now, Milotic! Hydro Pump!" Milotic began charging the powerful move. "I will not give up, Lusamine! I have changed! I have become champion! I've dealt with the death of my parents, I've dealt with living on the streets, and I've dealt with Team Flare! And now I will deal with you! Delphox, combine Flamethrower and Psyshock!" The combination of moves; extremely hard to do, but you believed in your Delphox; your sweet, sweet Delphox who has been with you ever since it was a tiny Fennekin, and you, a tiny trainer. 'If this goes right, Psyshock will brunt out the water, and Flamethrower will finish it off..' You could barely hear the fight anymore, blood rushing past your ears. "GO!" You both called, pokemon firing their attacks at once. The attacks hit eachother, never seeming to cease. "Don't stop, Delphox!" You passionately cheered. "If you quit, Milotic..." Lusamine threatened. 

Delphox seemed to tremble under the sheer power of the Hydro Pump. Slowly, it let go of its attack, before pushing back stronger. Milotic did the same, before both attacks went out of wack, hitting eachother in a big dramatic blast. "Delphox, no!" "Milotic!" You both watched your pokemon fall to the ground with two strong thuds. A few seconds passed as you waited for a pokemon to get up, declaring its team the victor. Your eyes sparkled as you saw Delphox twitch, before standing up. You looked at Lusamine's Milotic, who remained on the ground, not daring to move. "I... Did it... No, WE did it! Delphox! We did it!" You ran at Delphox who lazily fell into your tackle hug. "Here," you handed it plenty of Sitrus and Oran berries as it thankfully nodded, beginning to eat them right away. You looked at Lusamine hesitantly, before taking a few more berries out of your bag, meekly walking towards her. "Here," you offered them to her. Lusamine stared down at your hand that held an Oran berry. She warmly took it smiling.

And crushed it in her hand.

You flinched as she did so, terrified as the fruit's juices cascaded down her arm. "Well, a deal's a deal," Lusamine hummed as if nothing happened, returning her pokemon to its ball, before walking off somewhere. You hoped you'd never, ever see her again. The day you see peridot green eyes once more is the day you'd date Guzma. You ran over to the Tauros, bringing out a max potion. "It's alright... Everything will be okay..." You knelt next to it, tipping some elixer into its mouth. "This'll sting for a second, sorry.." You poured the max potion over its body, rubbing it into its skin. In a matter of a few seconds, the Tauros stumbled to its hooves, eventually regaining its balance. "Good job!" You patted its head, quietly giggling as it affectionately nuzzled your hand, before running away.

"Wow," Guzma breathed out. "Good work!" He clapped your back as you yelped. "How many times are you going to do that?" "Thirty-nine." "Oh my goodness!" He just snickered. "Plum, bring 'em back out," Guzma called. "That sounded SO INTENSE!" Aaron ran out from behind Plumeria, Arietta right behind him. "It was AWESOME!" "Yeah, _____, you were like 'Lusamine, you're going down' and she was like 'OH NOOOO' and THEN you were like 'PISH-BOOM-POW' and then she was like 'AAAAAAAAA'-" Arietta covered his mouth with her hand, sighing. "I think she gets it... EW! Did you just lick my hand?" Aaron merely giggled, running around in circles as Arietta chased him. (GET BACK HERE! I'M LICKING YOUR HAND BACK!") You pondered how he did that while wearing the bandana around his mouth.

"Wha-" Guzma picked up your hand, licking it. "AH!" You sharply barked, quickly retracting it back, rubbing your hand on your clothes. "Your hands' salty." "Sorry," you winced. "Tasty," he finished. "Ew," you took a shy step back, fighting a blush as he only laughed more. He suddenly stopped as you both heard some rustling next to some nearby trees. Both you and Guzma stood a wall in front of Aaron and Arietta, who've stopped running. A black silhouette appeared in the trees, speaking; the voice was slightly younger and sharp sounding. "You put up quite the fight." That's when the figure stepped out.

Guzma just grunted. "Oh."

"Gladion."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My favorite chapter... So far.
> 
> fun fact about alzajay #1: whenever I write, I usually listen to Pokemon S&M and Steven Universe soundtracks.


	11. (not) glad-ion to see you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You met someone new.
> 
> And TOTALLY flirt it up with him.

chapter 11 - (not) glad-ion to see you

"Well, well, well, if it isn't good ol' Gladion." Guzma raised an eyebrow at him. "Guzma," this 'Gladion' bit back. He walked up to you, squinting down at you.

He was at least a mere inch taller than you. You looked up, right back at him. He, too, had shiny, daunting peridot green eyes. (You found yourself taking back what you said about the 'dating Guzma if you see green eyes' last chapter.) He had the same 'Lusamine-blond' hair color. This hair of his was fringed, layered, and cut; styled in such a way that one eye was covered, other side of his hair back. His ears were adorned with multiple silver piercings. The hood of his midnight black hoodie too was fringed. Frayed and ripped, spiking from his shoulders to behind his neck. White hoodie strings dangled over an illustrated scarlet gash that went across his chest. Black, ripped jeans were cut just above the ankles, under them plain red sneakers with black accents.

Your face was brought into a huge smile, chest puffing up as you struggled hard to hold back violent giggles. 'This guy's so edgy, it's ridiculous!' "What?" His pupils shrunk. "Heehee..." Laughter slightly spilled out of your mouth as you shyly covered it, eyelashes fluttering closed. His pupils lightly dilated, blush spreading across his face. "What is it? Do I have something on my face?" "Yeah, adorableness!" You found it hard not to pinch his cheeks. This boy was interesting. He shook his head, pushing away your compliment, speaking once more. "May I interest you in talking about our lord and savior Cosmog- ACK, wrong talk! I mean, uh... I need to talk to you," he shakily pointed a finger at you. "Of course," you winked at him as he blushed again, taking his hand to his face, pathetically sputtering. "Ey," Guzma angrily butted in. "Why don't you ever treat me 'dis way?" You laughed. "I can't tell you that." "WHAT?!" You turned back to Gladion. "We could talk in Malie Garden," you suggested. Gladion slowly brought down his hand, afraid you'd compliment him again. "..Alright." 

You all walked to Malie Garden. You smiled, upon seeing the gorgeous mixture of gold statures and leafy green plants everywhere. Green and gold; a wonderful color combination to you. "Here's a good spot," you said, arriving at the outside of an ice cream shop. "I'll be right back while you talk," Guzma said, walking into the shop. "So! This is like a date, isn't it?" You sat across from Gladion, winking at him again as he almost screamed. "Stop it-!" He dipped his face into his hands, before trying to forget it. "You're really cute when you blush, you know." "Nnng." He growled as you giggled. "I'm sixteen," he whined. "So?" You laughed more seeing him frustrated, before freezing.

You totally just got deja-vu with Guzma.

Is this what it's like being him?

...Wow.

"But.." He cleared his throat. "What I wanted to talk about was Cosmog. That woman you just battled is on the hunt for it.. And if you ever see it, let me tell you, do NOT give it to her!" "Don't worry, I won't," you assured him, remembering Guzma's words; 'Crazy woman'. You laughed to yourself. How right he was. "This Cosmog is small and blue. It seems like a little pokemon with two tiny nebula clouds sprouting from its body." You nodded. "Thank you for this information. I'll try to keep this creature safe if I ever cross paths with it." You frowned. 'Aether Paradise seems to be on the hunt for lots of things lately..' You sadly looked over to Aaron and Arietta who were bickering and playfully shoving eachother, gaze drifting over to Plumeria who faithfully watched them. You wouldn't ever want your new friends to get hurt. Plumeria slightly looked at you, before 'hmph'ing, sharply turning back to the kids.

Yeah, 'friend' still seemed appropriate to you.

"Oh, and, my name's _____." He silently thought about your name, slightly blushing before the door opened, Guzma stepping through. "I must go," Gladion announced, standing. He made eye contact with you. "I'll check in with you occasionally. T-To see how Cosmog is doing, of course. That is the only reason." You smiled, rolling your eyes. "No, you just want to see me again." "NOT TRUE," Gladion screamed, before running away, avoiding embarrassing himself more than he already has. "That kid.." Guzma said, handing you a strawberry ice cream cone. "I didn't know what 'ya liked, so I just winged it." "Oh, no, this is fine, thank you! You didn't have to." You gratefully dug into the frozen treat, watching Guzma hand blueberry and cherry ice cream cones to Aaron and Arietta. He handed a banana split to Plumeria, ("Ha ha, very funny," she rolled her eyes,) before sitting down with his own cone of vanilla. Everyone silently enjoyed their treats before they heard a call. "NEBBY, COME BACK! Oh, please, get in the bag!" You saw a dark blue dot quickly rush towards you, into your arms, nearly knocking your ice cream cone out of your hand. You looked down at it, nearly gasping.

It was small, and blue, with two little nebula clouds sprouting from its body. It smiled up at you, making little shimmery-noises (which was what you assumed a laugh).

"Cosmog."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really loved writing this chapter. Although I'm slightly ashamed of the title.


	12. lay low lillie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You meet another new person.

chapter 12 - lay low lillie

It happily cheered as you said its name. "Oh, Nebby! There you are!" A young girl ran towards you, grabbing the creature out of your lap, stuffing it into a huge bag she wore at her side. "Oh, no.. Please stay.."

What's up with all these people and their peridot green eyes? Man, talk about a trip down PTSD lane. Like Lusamine and Gladion, she had light blonde silky hair that caught the suns rays. The front parts of it were braided down the sides, cascading down her shoulders, rest of it delicately set on her back. She wore a white dress, lace stitched in at the sides, that went down to her knees, ends of it slightly translucent. A wide, pearl sun hat was worn over her dainty hair, overcasting a shadow onto her pale but beautiful face. From the tops of her calves white socks went down, worn over them small ivory flats.

'Wow,' was all you could think. 'She is very gorgeous.' "'Nebby'?" You questioned. The girl warily turned towards you. "Please don't tell anyone of what you just saw.. Oh, that would be just horrible. 'Nebby' is the nickname of this creature, Cosmog." You nodded. "I've heard of Cosmog before, it's alright." She seemed to take a step back, uneasy look on your face. "It's alright, I won't steal it.. Someone just told me to keep a watch over it and keep it safe." "Ah," she hushed. "Gladion.. If he trusts you, even just a little bit, I suppose I can too." She quietly sat next to you. "I'm _____, nice to meet you," you offered her your hand. She cautiously looked at it, before weakly shaking it. "Lillie.." "A beautiful name," you warmly smiled down at her as she slightly smiled right back. "You're so sappy," Guzma pushed your head as you groaned. "It's not sappy, I'm just being nice. Something you don't know how to do," you bit, as Guzma chuckled. "You say you're nice then insult me!" You were about to reply when you realized he was right, biting your tongue. "You're just like a married couple," Lillie slightly laughed, as Guzma nodded, you gasping. "We are not-" You started, before Guzma interrupted. "Married, but we ARE dating." "NO," you began, before sighing, realizing your ice cream was beginning to melt. "That's Guzma," you explained. "A.. 'Friend' of mine, and a huge pain in the butt." "You bet I am," he winked before you shoved him off the bench. "There are kids here!" You scolded him.

"Actually," Lillie drifted off. "I'm a bit lost... I'm Professor Kukui's assistant, and we were off to catch some new pokemon to test their moves.." "Move testing?" You were slightly triggered. "Yeah. Professor Kukui tests moves by having the pokemon use them on him." "Ah," you nodded, slightly relaxing. "And that's when Nebby here got out of the bag, floating off somewhere..." "Well.. We're in Malie Garden right now, if you didn't know. Where do you have to go?" She hummed in thought. "I believe it's Ula'Ula meadow. We were going to catch some Oricorio.." "Oricorio?" You raised an eyebrow. Rotom Dex suddenly floated into the scene. "Oricorio!" Four brightly colored birds appeared on his screen. "Oricorio is a bird pokemon with four different types, depending on the kind of nectar you give it! There's Baile Style, Pom-Pom style, Pa'u Style, and Sensu Style; each style has a different type to it!" "Wow," you grinned. "Pokemon are so amazing. Actually! That's an Alolan pokemon! Trevor would love such a unique pokemon! Lillie, how about we all travel there together?" "That'd be nice," Lillie smiled. 

All of a sudden, a bus stopped in front of Route 11, people stepping out of it, into Malie city. "And that's how we'll get there," Plumeria quietly said, pointing to it. "AWESOME," "A BUS!" The twins ran inside, heading all the way to the back. Plumeria followed, sitting infront of them. "After you," you told Lillie, as she quickly and thankfully bowed, hurrying inside and plopping herself down behind the bus driver. You went after her, taking the window seat in the row across from her. This left Guzma, last to get on the bus, walking in to (of course) sit next to you. You looked over at the bus driver. "Jayden?" He looked towards you as you realized he wasn't wearing his sailor's cap, but a bus driver's hat instead. "You know 'im?" Guzma looked at you. "He drove our boat," you explained. "Take us to Ula'Ula meadow, please!" You leaned over Guzma to hand him some Poke. "Alright," was Jayden's simple reply as the bus began to move. "It's about a nineteen minute drive, so get cozy." "An' get cozy I will!" Guzma stretched out, arm over your shoulder, leisurely crossing his legs. Wordlessly, you tried standing up. "NO STANDING ON THE BUS!" Jayden screeched as you instantly sat back down. "Okay, alright! ...Dear Arceus," you sighed.

'Looks like I'm stuck here.'

You gave up, leaning into his shoulder (to his surprise) watching the gorgeous Alolan scenery roll by. 'Maybe this won't be so bad.' You felt warm and cozy, lying against Guzma, sunlight shining through the window and onto you. You were getting awful drowsy; occasionally your head would dip down before you lifted it up again, trying to remain awake. Guzma laid a hand on your head, leaning your head onto his shoulder. Once again, to his surprise, you kept your head there, eyelids slowly fluttering closed.

You fell asleep to the slight rumbling of the bus, feeling Guzma's hand calmingly running through your hair.


	13. I Am

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get some different perspective.

chapter 13 - I Am

Is she asleep?

I took my hand, shaking her head slightly, before deciding she was.

"Boss, boss!" Aaron and Arietta ran up to me as I shushed them. "_____'s asleep," I pointed at her, unable to keep myself from smiling as I saw her sleeping form. "Boss, boss," they whispered. "We were thinking..." Arietta started. "What if _____ says 'no'? For being in Team Skull? Like, for real though," Aaron said, before continuing. "Not like this.." He batted his eyelashes, putting on a voice that sounded eerily close to _____'s. "'Oh, no! I absolutely cannot commence in the action of immersing myself in your illicit organization, tee-hee! That completely breaks my moral compass!" Arietta and I looked at him, dumb struck. "Where'd 'ya.. Get that much word knowledge?" He's never been to school. Neither has Arietta. "My vocabulary has been gifted from the heavens! All praise the Kalos champion!" I rolled my eyes, smiling. "But," Aaron became serious. "What I'm trying to say is.. What if she got tired of us and left? And we couldn't follow her" They both grew somber as I fell into a deep thought.

They had a point. What if that did happen? "Well.." I started out. "I dunno. Really, I don't. If she left, I guess that's that, but there's one part of what you said that isn't true." "What's that?" Arietta raised an eyebrow. "The part about us not followin' 'er. I dunno about you guys, but I think _____ is wonderful.. She'd be a good leader. Pretty cute 'ta boot, too. I really like 'er... And I ain't givin' up on 'er. Call me crazy, but I'm smitten with that shortstack. Even if she'd never like me back, I'd never give up on 'er."

"I'm not a quitter. I'm lovestruck, and thas' the kinda guy I am."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates might be only once per day now; do forgive me. When I began uploading this story I had fourteen chapters prepared and got too excited, nearly uploading it all at once. I'm still writing as time goes on, so don't worry. Updates just might get a little slower.


	14. caught

chapter 14 - caught

"GET UP!"

"AAAA!" You screamed as Jayden yelled at you, Guzma slightly shaking you. "'Yo," Guzma tried calming you down. "Everyone's outside. We're in Ula'Ula meadow." "Oh, ah! Sorry!" You quickly jumped over Guzma, out the bus door, nearly tripping over the stairs on your way out. Guzma shrugged, following you.

You gasped, raindrops hitting you on the head. "Are we still in Alola?" You looked around, the atmosphere no longer bright, but gray and droopy. "Hey," "Isn't that Po Town?" Aaron and Arietta pointed to a huge wall as Guzma slightly flinched. "Ula'Ula meadow is this way," he took their shoulders, quickly spinning them around, slightly pushing them off in the direction of the meadow; you noticed the group was on Route 17, and there was a relatively short pathway that lead to the meadow. "Po Town..?" You muttered under your breath. "Po Town-" Rotom began until Guzma interrupted. "Uh, Dex-Thing whatchamacallit! Tell _____ how to catch an Oricorio, will 'ya? Help 'er out a bit." "Oh, of cour-zz-e!" You hesitantly looked at Guzma, who dully stared back. Usually he'd crack a joke in this time.. Something like... 'Why 'ya lookin' at me, shorty?' Yeah, that's something he'd say. You were confused why he didn't, and instead looked at you with upsetting eyes full of disdain. Seeing him so out of character made you feel.. Empty. It really was very upsetting to you, and you couldn't bare to look into those hollow eyes any longer, turning around, walking to Ula'Ula meadow.

You tuned out the Dex, instead paying attention to the ever-bright Lillie that was now walking next to you. 'She's a quiet one,' you noted to yourself. You slightly shivered, looking at her sleeveless attire. "Are you cold?" You asked her. "No, not really," she said. 'Makes a bit of sense,' you thought to yourself. 'She has that sun hat to protect herself from the rain with.' "I guess I'm the only one." You swore you saw vapor trail from your mouth as you sighed. You shook it off; that's near impossible with the amount of humidity in Alola. 'I guess even in the brightest of areas, there's still darkness. Somewhere.' "Hm?" You felt a warm jacket drape over your shoulders. You glanced down at the dark fabric, appreciatively nodding. "Thank you, Guzma. Are you sure you'd be fine without it though?" You briefly turned around, looking at him, greatly relieved to see life in his eyes once more. "I'm a guy who's warm with a lotta love, and I've got plenty to spread around." You found your eyelids crinkle with a smile, before turning around, completely slipping on the jacket.

You took a deep breath, slightly inhaling the scent of the jacket, confused at what you found. How does one explain what sadness smells like..? His jacket smelt like a warm somber morning after a long summer rain. The kind of rain that has you at the windowpane, watching the boundless rain plummet from the sky, and into the ground. 'Yeah,' you nodded. 'That's about right.' You briefly pitied Guzma, but for what? How sad his jacket smells? You laughed to yourself, shaking your head. The rainy atmosphere was getting to you. "Wow," "AWESOME!" You heard Aaron and Arietta cheer as you walked faster, sticking your hands in the pockets of Guzma's jacket. They were nice and warm, and.. Had paper in them? You took out a piece, unfolding it. "To Do List: -Wake Up. -Feed kids (and Plum). -Figure out way to break into Pokemon Center. -Figure out excuse to why the Pokemon Center door breaks if we do find a way in. -See _____. -Annoy _____." You chuckled, figuring the list was written yesterday.

You looked up from the paper, discovering the beauty that is Ula'Ula meadow. The atmosphere was still slightly gray, but a beautiful wispy gray at that. Ahead of you were dull boards, making small elevated bridge that went over small crannies that dipped down half a foot into the ground. Small sets of stairs would lead into those crannies that were filled with the most gorgeous crimson flowers that sparkled and swayed with an indescribable and eerie kind of magic. This magic spread to the misty fog that was overcast over everything. They too danced and swayed, very animated and majestic. Everything in Ula'Ula meadow seemed to 'dance' to a slow and steady beat, making the place really feel alive. You remembered when your parents were still with you, and they'd always read to you about.. Something like the 'heartbeat of the forest'. You smiled at how perfectly those four words described the place. "Oh, I see him!" Lillie said. "He's on the other side over there." She turned towards you, quickly bowing. "Thank you for escorting me here. I owe you one.." "Oh, no, it's fine," you smiled. "I'm glad to see you found your professor. Goodbye, and do keep a close eye on Nebby! If you ever need any help with anything, uh.." You forgot normal Alolans didn't own Holo Casters. "Uh.." You needed to do this. "Here." You handed her an extra you bought for Tierno's birthday, handing it to her. 

She needed it a lot more than he did.

"That's a Holo Caster; a hologram phone. My contact is already in it. If you or Nebby are in trouble, or if you ever get lost, make sure to call me on that, alright?" Her eyes sparkled down on it like it was gold. "I.. Wow! Thank you so much!" She hugged you as you almost gasped in surprise, before accepting it, hugging her back. "Of course. Have a wonderful day!" "Goodbye!" She waved, enthusiastically running off, Holo Caster still in her hand. Guzma walked up behind you. "Do you just carry a lot of those Holo Whatevers?" "No, that was for a friend of mine who's birthday is coming up.. But I think Lillie would put it to better use." "Tch," Plumeria said from your left. "She can only call you on it though. Whas' the point? Aren't you gonna leave soon anyway because you like to travel or whatever?" You raised an eyebrow; how'd she know that? She continued. "After you leave havin' that dumb Caster thing would be pointless." "Well," you hummed. "I think it's important that Lillie stays safe. I don't want anyone getting hurt, especially when there's something I can do about it. Something just called out to me to give that to her.. Besides, I can always buy another one. They're very expensive, but I can make do." 

"How generous," Guzma ruffled up your hair as you didn't bother to stop him; much less fix up your hair. "But for now, I wanna finally catch an Oricorio!" You ran across the deteriorating gray-green wood, jumping down the stairs, into the red flowers. With much vigor, your eyes scoured the flowers, searching for a bird that looked like what you saw on Rotom's screen. "Here," Guzma called. "This'll help." He tossed you a vial as you easily caught it. You peered through the crystal clear glass, slightly swirling the thick red liquid inside with wonder. "What's this- AHH!" You were tackled by a bird; one that you could only assume was Oricorio.

You grabbed the first pokeball in your bag, throwing it out. "Go.." You waited for the Pokemon to appear. "Primarina!" Your Primarina jumped out of the pokeball, landing with the utmost grace, bowing after she hit the ground. You smiled, clapping for the beautiful pokemon. You haven't got to know her all that much yet, but you still loved her all the same. "Rotom!" You called. "Is this Oricorio?" You pointed to the bird pokemon who backed away, cocking its head at your vial, taking anxious steps forward and back. "Correct; this is an Oricorio, Baile style; its unique type is fire!" "Oh, phew," you smiled. "I have the advantage. Alright, Primarina, use Sparkling Aria!" Primarina was too late, as the Oricorio used Air Cutter, white gleaming and ghostly razors cutting through the air, hitting Primarina. "It's alright, Primarina, shake it off!" 

You'd have to think of a strategy. The Oricorio would be hard to find through all the red flowers, thanks to camouflage... C'mon, _____, take advantage of your surroundings! Your eyes nervously darted from the ground, to the flowers, to the pokemon, until you got an idea. "Primarina, take the rocks on the ground and shoot them everywhere, low!" Primarina swept its tail on the ground, sending out a thin sheet of rocks amongst the ground as the Oricorio flew up. "Hydro Pump! Don't knock it out!" Primarina hit it head on, Oricorio dropping to the ground. "And Sing!" You tried not to fall asleep yourself as Primarina's beautiful voice rang out, singing the most wonderful and calming tune. Oricorio slightly swayed to the music, weakly dancing to it, before collapsing, asleep. You took a luxury ball out of your bag, tossing it in your hand, before gently throwing the ball, hitting the Oricorio's wing. You intently watched as the pokeball split open, emitting a red light, encapsuling the pokemon, before it disappeared, light retracting back into the ball. Roll once... Twice... "Got it!" You cheered at the satisfying 'snap' of the pokeball. You ran over, picking up the ball, before putting it into your bag, pokeball poofing out of existance and presumably into the PC. You were still not sure why whenever you tried putting a 7th pokemon in your bag, it left to the PC. Truly one of the greatest mysteries of your time.

"Amazing job, Primarina!" You held your hand up to the Primarina as it seemed confused, looking at your hand. You paused, until laughing with realization. "It's called a high five! Like, um.." You ran over to Guzma, holding up your hand, as he intertwined his with yours. You winced, trying to pull away, small blush spreading across your face. "H-Hey! I'm trying to show Primarina what a high five is!" He didn't let go, only high fiving you with his other hand. You walked back, still hand in hand with Guzma. "That's a high five, usually performed as an act of celebration and victory! High five!" ('Or flipper, in your case,' you whispered to yourself.) Primarina smiled, hitting your hand with its flipper. "That's it!" You affectionately pat her on the head, feeding her an oran berry, before returning her to her pokeball. "Well, that's that." You tried not to think about the fact Guzma's hand was still around yours as you walked back up to the bridge, noticing Aaron and Arietta standing there. "That seemed like-" "Fun!" They cheered. Arietta sighed. "I wish we-" "Could catch pokemon." "Huh?" You looked down at them. "Do you not have the equipment for it, or..?" "We don't," Aaron replied, face tilted down in shame. Arietta did the same. "We want to, though." Her head suddenly snapped up. "Oh, no, don't think we don't love Plusle and Minun or anything, but it's just.. I dunno." She looked back down at her shoes. "Well..."

You perked up with an 'aha!'. "There was once this boy I met in Hoenn and I helped him catch a Ralts. I think I still have two from that time... How about once we reach the next pokemon center I give them to you two? I think they'd certainly be happier in your arms than mine." They both gasped, immediately seeming energetic once more. They looked up at Guzma with large shining eyes. "PLLEEEEEEEEEASE?" You almost melted under their gaze. You also looked up at Guzma, who bit his lip in thought. "C'mon, Guzma," you slightly whispered to him. "This is a good opportunity for them to grow." He considered your words before nodding. "Yea', you're right. Sure, why not." "WOOOOOOOOOOO!" They highfived, doing a little victory dance, before hugging your legs (you nearly tripping, Guzma catching you. 'My life really is turning into a cliche,' you thought with a sigh). "THANK YOU, _____!" They said in unison. "Oh, ahah, no problem!" Guzma leaned you back onto your feet. "But," "There's one more thing," they said. "What's a-" "Ralts?" "...Oh!" You facepalmed, forgetting they're small Alolan children who've never been to Hoenn. "Rotom, if you will." "Of cour-zz-e!" Rotom showed them pictures of Ralts and their evolutions as the kids 'ooh'ed and 'aah'ed, you beginning to walk down the wooden pathway, Guzma following. "My next stop is the beach," you told him. "After doing stuff there I'm heading to a center to sleep for the night. I assume you're doing the same?" "Of course," Guzma said. You only slightly smiled.

He only looked down at you, before ruffling your hair. No reaction. He clasped you on the back muttering "three". Nothing. He put his arm around you. Nothing! He hummed, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Somethin's up," he said. You just kept a straight face. Rotom floated over to you. "I'll lead us to the nearby beach!" A map flickered on his screen as you nodded, your whole group off once more. You continued to stay monotone, deep in thought. "_____," he said. "Hm?" Your eyes stared straight infront of you, into Rotom's back as he swayed to and fro with a random rhythm. "You're actin' weird, yo." "Is that so?" It was silent for a few more moments until he continued. "Like, 'gah... You're not as spazzy as usual." You snorted at the word 'spazzy', before thinking of the words you'd use to reply, carefully constructing your sentence. "Well, maybe I was thinking about how we've known eachother for about two days, but we've already made so much memories together. I feel like we've known eachother forever." Guzma looked down at you in awe, before coughing. "Well, of course! Who wouldn't be so easily charmed by the big bad Guzma?" He seemed very prideful at what you said as you couldn't help but smile.

'Maybe there's some charm in that cocky attitude of his.'

You briefly remembered in that moment everyone has their own feelings, and maybe you should stop being so rude to Guzma. You had to admit, you were starting to warm up to him a little bit.. Even if he lead that dang team of poke-thieves. Yes, this was a good train of thought... What if you tried to reform Team Skull? That was a brilliant idea! You high fived yourself as Guzma hummed. "What's-it now?" "I just wanted to ask you what Team Skull does." "Ohohoh," Guzma evilly rubbed his hands together. "We work hard to instill fear in the hearts of others!" He made 'spooky fingers' in front of your face as your hopeful smile dropped, him proudly continuing. "We work hard to spook the Alolans." "That's no good," you sighed, as he raised an eyebrow. "Whaddaya mean?" 'Try not to be rude, _____.' You inhaled, carefully picking out the words you'd reply with once more. "I.. Don't know if anyone taught you what a moral compass is, but that kind of thing isn't right. ...I wonder what kind of past you have... The past that caused you to make this team." Your eyes crinkled with pity as Guzma looked away, tightening his fists. "W-Well. ...I guess 'ya have a point." You warily looked at Guzma, before gently placing a hand on his back as he slightly stiffened. It was warm..

"I appreciate you lending me your jacket, though. That was kind." Guzma sputtered for an answer, but silenced himself after not coming up with a good one. Finally, the meadow's clouds have cleared, as you glimpsed a small empty beachfront ahead. You sighed in bliss, finally feeling the warm Alolan sun once more. You were about to take off the jacket, until Guzma stopped you. "Uh, you can continue wearin' that fo' now.. Ya' look cute in it," he winked, as you rolled your eyes, smiling. "Thank you," you were slightly bashful. You watched Aaron and Arietta with adoration as they played around in the beach sand near the oceanfront. "Oh, to have that much youth and energy again-" You were interrupted when Guzma enthusiastically whooped, throwing off his shirt, launching himself into the ocean. "What," you deadpanned. Plumeria walked up next to you, before speaking. "It's been a while since Team Skull has gotten time off like this.. Guzma hasn't relaxed in forever.." And she too walked off, before finding a shady place to sit. "Huh." You looked at Guzma, who ushered Aaron and Arietta to join him (which they did, as they swam around in glee), splashing eachother. "It's like he's a kid," you fondly said to yourself. You released all your pokemon as they bounded around happily, some stretching, some rolling around in the warm sand. 

"_____!" Guzma called. You looked over to him. "JOIN US, YO!" ..Was that his Golisopod next to him? 'He's so full of energy.. Wow.' You shook your head, sly smile on your face. "IF YOU DON'T I'LL DRAG YOU IN HERE!" You raised a trying eyebrow, as if challenging him. "UGH, GET OVER 'ERE!" He stormed out of the ocean, before picking you up as you gasped. He ran to the ocean, you quickly discarding your bag, footwear, and any other items that you'd rather not have in contact with water. He tossed you into the ocean as you held your breath, floating to the surface. "You.. You!" You accusingly pointed as he laughed, jumping in after you, splashing you once more. Guzma suddenly paused, looking at you in awe as you gazed right back with a deadpan. "..What?" "Yo' hair's so cute when it's wet!" "It is not!" You splashed him once more as he happily took it, toothy grin on his face. You felt another big splash. "What?! Primarina! I trusted you!" Your Primarina just clapped with glee. "I suppose this isn't that bad.." You leisurely floated along the waves. "How calm... WOAH!" You felt yourself rise from the water onto the broad back of Golisopod, Guzma right next to you. He shouted a command as you blabbed in confusion.

"Golisopod-" "-what're you doing-" "-Hydro Pump!" Golisopod started out slow, before taking off at a very quick speed. "WOOOO!" Guzma stood up, 'surfing' on Golisopod. "AAAAAAAAAAA!" You ducked low, holding onto Golisopod for dear life. "C'MON, _____! STAND! THIS IS AWESOME, YO!" You looked up at his smiling face, small butterflies beginning to flutter in your stomach, seeing Guzma's hair wildly flowing in the wind, one hand holding onto his sunglasses, other hand offered to you. Reluctantly, you took his hand as he strongly pulled you up. Shakily, you trembled against the wind before braving it out, gaining strong feet. "Isn't this great?" Guzma yelled. You felt the misty ocean water spray up in your face, hair flying out behind you. You briefly looked back, seeing Golisopod producing a strong wake, before turning back around, smallest smile beginning to grace your face. "Yeah! This is awesome!" You spread your arms out, cheering. "Thas' my girl!" He did the same, before stopping, smile slowly melting off his face. He knelt down. "Golisopod, that's enough," Golisopod slowly slid to a halt as you quickly found yourself missing the high speeds. "And it was just getting good.." You looked down at Guzma, who gazed at the shore. "What's wrong?" You asked him. Guzma pointed to two dots in the distance. "Those ar' the kids. We're pretty far out now." "Oh! Then we should get back soon... But.." You turned back around to the sinking sun. "I'd like to stay for a bit longer." You sat on Golisopod's back as Guzma sat next to you.

It was slightly quiet, but a nice quiet. You listened to the calm waves slosh around, occasional bubbling from the Golisopod. After a while of that gentle ambiance, Guzma spoke. "I'm glad we came out 'ere today. 's been forever since we've had time to relax. It... Really takes me back. 'More than I'd like..." He grimaced. "Did something happen?" You turned towards him as he made eye contact with you, before turning away, face slightly flushing. "I don' like talkin' about it. It's actually.. Sorta' stupid when I think about it." He dragged his hands down his face, sighing. "I... Agh!" He threw his hands down, refusing to meet your eyes. "Jus' forget about it!" You hummed, thinking. "Well... I think it's fine. We've all done some stupid things." He grunted in response, staring down into the ocean, looking at his reflection. He angrily kicked at it. "..You're a strong, and wonderful leader, Guzma. Sure, you may lead your team for the wrong reasons, but you lead them with pride. I respect that. Whatever happened in the past, is... Well, past! Just forget it." His eyes shone more with every word you spoke. "..Heh, to think Team Skull was made over a dumb overreaction.." Guzma looked gorgeous in the warm, overcast sunset light. You found yourself leaning in, Guzma too, before Golisopod slightly shifted as you fell backwards. "_____-!" Guzma reached for your hand before you fell on the back of your Primarina, Rotom floating a few feet above it. "Wha..? Primarina? Rotom? When did you two get here?" "It-zz time to go! It'zz getting late," Rotom explained. "Now, quick! I get anxiou-zz around water!"

You rode back on your Primarina, Guzma on his Golisopod, arriving at shore. Aaron was wringing out his clothes as Arietta shook herself dry, before stopping upon noticing your appearance. "Ooooooh!" They said. "What'd you do out there?" "Alone?" They giggled as you rolled your eyes. "We just had a talk. C'mon, let's head to the nearest center." After grabbing your stuff, you found yourself walking next to Guzma the whole say there, Skull Siblings and Rotom a few yards ahead, your pokemon and Plumeria slightly behind. With the sunset nearly finished, you looked up at Guzma, admiring his handsome features.

After this day, you decided to yourself you indeed found Guzma attractive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ominous title is ominous. Also, after writing the characters of Aaron and Arietta, I found this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXJvPApbhWI  
> And thought it really matched them perfectly. I didn't base them off that comic, but.. I thought that was pretty neat.


	15. heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An accident happens, you have a talk, and realize something. (alt title: ralts rendezvous)

chapter 15 - heart  
  
"AAGH!" You cried out. "Whas' wrong- HOLY SHI-" You covered his mouth, reminding him that children were around. On the way to the center, you'd accidentally stepped on a very sharp (and perfectly) pointed rock; pointed at such an angle that when you stepped on it, it dug deep into your bare foot. Just your luck. You whimpered, pulling the stone out, watching the blood pool out of the gauge with the utmost fear and disgust. Guzma cleared his throat. "Stop!" He called. Aaron, Arietta, and Rotom turned around at the call, running over. "_____!" "Are you-" They gasped upon seeing your wound. Guzma ripped off his shirt sleeve, kneeling down, wrapping it around your foot. "Guzma, your shirt-" "Are 'ya seriously holding value in my shirt over your foot?" You slowly fell silent as he finished bandaging it up. "Can 'ya walk?" You meekly took a step before crying out, holding your leg close. "Maybe I'll be fine if I put on my shoes-" "Don't botha'." Your eyes widened as he picked you up. "Heheh. Looks like bein' a shorty benefits 'ya. You're pretty light." You just stayed silent, occasionally gasping at the excruciating pain. You felt his gentle gaze on you linger for a bit. "..'Salright," was what he simply said. You appreciated Guzma's attempt of trying to comfort you. "We're almos' there." You leaned against his chest, sighing.

After what felt like forever, your group finally arrived at the center. Nurse Joy gasped. "Guzma! ..And _____? I've heard about you from the other Nurse Joy, but.. Is there something wrong?" Her eyes were on the now soaking red bandage wrapped around your foot. "Clearly," Guzma sighed before placing you down on a chair. "Hello, Nurse Joy. Nice to meet you." Your voice was the tiniest bit quieter as you forced a smile, before dropping it. "I won't pretend. This hurts very badly." Nurse Joy hurried out of the room before quickly returning with some bottles, gloves, a cloth, and a whole lotta gauze. She put the gloves on, afterwards slowly peeling off your make-shift bandage. "Oh.. Ow.." The bottom of your foot was swollen and still leaking blood. "Oh dear.. The hole's nearly going through your entire foot. We're lucky it didn't hit a bone." "This is stupid!" Guzma pulled at his hair. "All this 'cuz of a dumb rock! Gah!" Everyone seemed upset at that moment in time. "This might sting a bit.. Hold on.." "I'll be fine." You winced, feeling a burning sensation come across your foot as she cleaned the wound, finishing it off with a few thick layers of gauze.

"Thank y-" You flinched at a loud beeping noise.Reaching into your bag, you pulled out your Holo Caster. "I thought I turned this off..." You accepted the call. "Hello?" "Hiiiii!" You were greeted by a happy Shauna. "Good... Morning? Shauna?" You noticed Nurse Joy leave into the kitchen, Guzma following, Plumeria squabbling behind him. "How have things bee-" A huge crash came from the background. "I'm okay," a meek, high voice said. "...Trevor? What's.. Where are you?" "Calem's house! We're packing up!~" "For?" "ALOLA!" You both cheered. "That's awesome! When will you be here?" "W-" "Pardon me." Calem walked into the scene, standing next to Shauna. "Bonjour, _____." He saluted you with a smile. "So mature, Calem! We're friends; talk to me like one." He suppressed a laugh. "How I missed your scolding voice. And yes, we all are going to Alola. After much begging, I've allowed them to accompany me in my trip." "Oh," you rolled your eyes. "How almightily gracious of you!" Calem waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, shut your mouth.. Moving on, we'll probably be there by tomorrow afternoon. We'll most likely be a bit tired due to jet lag, so please forgive us for that." "Of cours-" "I'M SO REA-DAAAAAY, WOO!" Tierno did a little dance in the background. You could see his fuzzy form jollily carrying a few bags.

"You all must be so excited!" "We are," Calem nodded, "and we should actually finish packing soon.. I'd hate to cut this call short, _____, but we must. Jusqu'à ce que nous nous reverrons, mon amour." "Bye-bye!~" Shauna enthusiastically waved while Calem bowed, their forms flickered off the Holo Caster. "Yo, whozzat?" You stiffened, hearing Guzma's gruff voice next to you. 'How long were you there..?' "Oh, Shauna. You remember her." "I know who Shimmy is, but I'm talkin' 'bout the other guy." "Oh, another good Kalos friend, Calem! He and the others will be here tomorrow." "Good friend, huh?" He had a low look to him. "How good?" "We defeated Team Flare together. We're baking buddies!" "Baking buddies, huh.." His hands shuffled in his pockets as a wry smile spread across his face. "I can't wait 'ta meet 'im." "Oh, I dearly hope you both get along!" "Yeah.. Me too." "_____!~" The Skull Siblings ran out of the kitchen, Aaron with a plate of... Charcoal? Rocks? Black and crumbly stuff. He was followed by Arietta, whom carried a plate of.. "Macarons!" You cheered. "Wow.." You stared at the Kalosian delicacy. "Well?" Arietta said. "Take one!' Aaron finished. You took one off of Arietta's plate, taking a bite. "Nurse Joy and I made these!" She beamed. "Delicious! A slice of home." "What about the other plate?" Aaron asked. "I made those," Guzma proudly puffed up his chest. "Oh! So those are.. Also macarons." You nervously laughed, picking one off of Aaron's plate. You hesitantly took a bite, nearly crying feeling your teeth nearly break on the 'macaron'. You looked over at Guzma, who looked back, eyes full of hope.

Wincing, you stuck the rest of the 'macaron' into your mouth, slowly crunching it, then reluctantly swallowing. "Well?" He asked. "How was it?" "It was-" Your throat felt like sandpaper, voice hoarse and incredibly scratchy. "..Amazing." Guzma seemed somber for a moment before slightly smiling, ruffling your hair. You took another bite of Nurse Joy's macaron, appreciating its softness on your aching teeth. "So delicious.. It reminds me of Kalos.. I made some for Wally and his.. Ralts! Oh! That's right!" You quickly stood up before falling back into your chair with a sharp cry, sore foot throbbing once more. "Hold up." Guzma slipped your arm over him (which was actually pretty challenging, considering your height difference), slowly helping you up. "Thank you.. Could you please take me to the PC?" "Pshh, you don't need to ask!" Slowly, with the aid of Guzma, you hobbled over to the PC, speedily typing in some random things before two pokeballs appeared in your bag. "Aaron, Arietta!" You called them over. They ran up, staring with quizzical eyes. "Here." You handed them the pokeballs. "Are these-" "The.." You only knowingly smiled. "You have to find out yourself!" "Alright, Aaron! Count us down!" "3, 2, 1!" "Go!" They threw them up into the air, two Ralts emerging from them. "SO-" "-COOL!" They happily greeted their new pokemon. "Hey," you whispered to them. They shortly turned around. "Hands out." They did so. You briefly rummaged through your bag, finding some pink poke beans, giving them both a healthy handful. "Feed it to them. They'll be easier to befriend afterwards." They thanked you, grins (somehow) growing wider, turning back around.

Guzma inhaled, as if he was about to talk. "Hm?" You looked up at him. "..Uh, thanks for that, _____. You made them really happy." "Haha, I can see that." You suddenly locked eyes with Plumeria, who stood across the room, as you froze. She simply nodded, before turning elsewhere. You looked back up at Guzma who so affectionately gazed at the kids. "You really care about them, don't you?" Guzma sighed in response. "I do. I'm like the fatha' they never had... They've only had me, big sis' Plum, and the cousin like grunts. We're all like a big family, but we're missin' one thing.." He turned to you. "They've never had a motha'." You refused to meet his eyes. "I understand.." At that, Nurse Joy came bumbling from the kitchen. "Dinner's ready!" She happily called. "Yay!" The kids cheered, running into the kitchen with their Ralts, ready to help pass out plates. Guzma helped you back to your chair, making sure you were okay, before sitting down himself.

Everyone released their pokemon to help out. They all busily worked, making sure everyone had a plate, before beginning to chow down. "It's delicious, Nurse Joy!" You happily ate the dinner as she grinned, waving an embarrassed hand. "Oh, thank you! It's the least I could do after hearing how nicely you treated the other Nurse Joy!" You warmly smiled, forking at your plate with content. Your head turned to Guzma, hearing a tiny 'cling'. He had let his fork fall to his plate. You didn't even need to ask him what's wrong; with a mere glance, he knew that was his cue to talk. "I can't stop thinkin' about that stupid little bit of my past. The one that totally messed my whole life up.. Maybe for the betta'." "You can talk about it, you know." He seemed reluctant, before taking a bite, thoughtfully chewing on it. "Don't make funna' me, okay? I can't stand that." "I won't." You gave him a reassuring smile as he melted in your gaze. "I.. Took the trial challenges long ago." "Oh, I remember reading about those before travelling here!" "Right.. I wasn't the only one. A friend and I went through 'em togetha'. I've always dreamed of bein' a trial captain. I trained so hard for those damn trials too. My fatha' told me I could neva' do it, but I wanted to show him that I could.. He never had any faith in me. I really was dead set on becoming a trial captain." He paused, taking another bite. "An' then I didn't. I couldn't. They told me 'no'. And I got so angry at the world because I thought that it wasn't fair. My dad laughed at me. So I made Team Skull; my way of gettin' back at the world. Team Skull.. A place fo' people to go when the world has been cruel to them.. Except fo' me; I just overreacted. Heh.." He tilted his head down. "'s really stupid. But I can't go back now." "Oh, Guzma," you smiled. "It's not stupid."

You pat him on the head as he seemed emotionless. "I can understand where you're coming from and it's alright. Like you said, you have a whole new family now. A caring and loving one." He slowly nodded, taking another bite of his dinner, you continuing to talk. "Maybe Team Skull could turn around for the better. You could help people! It's never too late to be a good person.." You tilted his chin, making him look at you. He slowly began to blush, pushing your hand away. "Ahg.. I'll think about it." He stood up, walking into the kitchen. Around that time you finished your own plate of food, about to also get up, before remembering your foot. "Ah.. Aaron, could you put away this plate for me?" "Sure!" He took your plate, scampering away. "Nurse Joy?" "Yes?" She scurried to you. "If it's alright, could you help me to the Guest Room?" "Of course!" You thanked her, after arriving in your room, collapsing into your bed, not bothering to change your clothes. Soon after, your Delphox walked into the room, sitting next to you. "Oh, good evening, Delphox." Your Delphox nodded, before turning to the window. "Another beautiful night, huh?" Delphox smiled, agreeing. You gazed out the window, smiling at the serene scenery. "I can't believe how beautiful Alola is. It almost makes me want to stay here. I wonder what will happen at the end of my journey, when I decide to go home.." You frowned. "What will happen then..?" Your Delphox looked down, also at a loss. "..Do you like it here in Alola?" He nodded. "Me too." The stars twinkled in the sky. Normally sights like this were rare in Kalos thanks to air pollution.

"I wish we could stay here forever." You couldn't rip your eyes off the wonderful sight. "But we have a home to return to." Your Delphox looked you in the eyes, before grabbing your wrist, feeling your pulse. "My pulse.. My heart?" Delphox nodded once more. "..Home is where the heart is..." He cheered as you realized what he was trying to tell you. "...And now I must ask myself where my heart is." You laid back on your bed, staring up at the pristine white ceiling. "I have no idea, Delphox. I'm torn." Delphox sneezed. "I know, I can't live in two places at once. I have to choose a place." An upset frown was on your face. "Do you remember the time I told you about my past in Kalos?" He put a thumbs up. "Me too." Your eyes flickered shut, slightly smiling hearing small steps of 'pitter-patter's enter your room; your pokemon were here. "Hello.." You greeted them all, sitting up. They all called back in unison. "Are you all doing well?" You smiled, hearing them all happily call out. Mimikyu jumped onto your bed, nestling itself into your lap. You smiled, holding it close. It slightly turned around, looking at you, as if asking you 'are you doing well' too. "I'm... Confused," you confessed, sighing.

"About what?" You gasped, seeing Guzma enter the room. "Sorry, I told them all to come in 'ere, and wanted to make sure they did. Did I interrupt something?" He looked down at your pokemon who have formed a circle around you. "Oh, nothing. You can join us if you'd like." He shrugged, sitting down on your other side. "I was talking about how I felt." "You talk to your pokemon?" He chuckled. "W-Well, yeah! They're my friends." You blushed, before smiling, feeling Mimikyu bury itself into your chest. "I love pokemon. I really do." Guzma's eyebrows raised, before he too smiled, humming with surprise as Mimikyu jumped into his arms. Mawile quickly took Mimikyu's place in your lap. "I was also.. Thinking of Kalos." "You do that a lot, don't you?" "I do.." You stared down at Mawile; the first pokemon you caught yourself in Kalos. "..You love it there, huh." "I do." You let out a long sigh. "But I have horrible memories there." "Like of Team Flare?" "No.." You covered your face with your hands as Mawile patted the underside of your arm. "Haha.. Thank you, Mawile." Guzma shifted a bit in his seat, looking elsewhere, then back at you. "You, can, uh... Talk about it. If 'ya want." You grinned at his use of your words. "I guess it's only fair."

"Long story short, when I was little, my parents were run over. I was young, and didn't know what to do, so I just... I had no where to go. I lived on the street. My parents expected a lot for me and I didn't want to let it all go, so after that I stole. From shops.. From libraries.. Mostly food and books. The reason I speak in such an articulate fashion is because I stole a lot from the Kalos libraries. I read a lot of books and studied up so wherever my parents are now they'd be proud. Everything I did and have do is for them." You felt your face heat up in shame. "And then at age fifteen I was taken in by Shauna, who I'd live with four five more years.. Meeting Delphox, Mawile and the others.. Defeating Team Flare.. Making new memories to cover up the bad ones." You covered your face with your hands. "But I probably didn't make them proud. I stole. I feel so guilty. Now.. I cannot stand thieves." You looked over at him. "Oh," was all he could say. "No hard feelings," you chuckled, trying to light up the mood, patting his shoulder. "I'm trying to let it drift into my past too. But I can't forget either." He grabbed your hand, taking it off his shoulder, putting it down. "Now, _____, um. This might sound a bit cheesy, but.." He was about to pull at his hair with the other hand, before stopping, instead cupping your hand with that too. You resisted the urge to blush at this incredibly cliche moment. 'It's like all those movies I watched at Shauna's house..' "We could forget our pasts togetha'?" It was quiet for a moment, before you grinned, pushing his hands back to him. "I'll think about it, okay?" Guzma stayed dull for a quick second before lighting up, running out the door, shutting it. Faintly outside you could hear him scream. "SHE DIN'T SAY NO!" Cheers from Aaron and Arietta followed after that. He truly was a breath of fresh air in your life. At first you were reluctant, but you had to admit it to yourself; you had some kind of undeniable infatuation with Guzma. If anything more, you didn't know. Either that, or you just didn't want to acknowledge those feelings. Your Delphox looked at you again, paw on your wrist. "...Right."

"Home is where the heart is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact about alzajay #2: My pokemon waifu for laifu is Ilima. I love him so much and he is precious,,  
> I wish there was more Ilima x Reader fics out there ;w;
> 
> P.S. (fail when I was writing: You dloelu grll dilrny sd hr ginidhrf bsnfshinh )


	16. kalos kids

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're reunited.
> 
> Not everyone is happy about this.

chapter 16 - kalos kid(s)

Your pokemon returned to their capsules as your eyes began to rest.

You dreamt of many things. Kalos, Alola, your Delphox... Guzma. You definitely knew that you now liked him. In the dream, you dreamed of a domestic lifestyle with the infamous Guzma. Aaron and Arietta were your children, you both preparing them for their day of graduation (despite the fact they've never gone to school). It was... Absolutely wonderful. You hated the moment when you began to wake, wishing that the dream could continue forever. 

"Good morning, _____! Did you sleep well?" Nurse Joy peeked into your room, finding you tiredly rubbing the sleep out of your eyes. "Good morning, Nurse Joy. I did, thank you... May you help me to the shower?" "Guzma's in there right now. How about breakfast until then?" "That sounds wonderful." She put your arm around her, standing you up, walking you into the main room where a table was set up. Everyone (save for Guzma) was seated and eating. Nurse Joy put you down in a seat before walking away, sitting in her own chair. You noticed an empty chair at your right, perfectly clean plate (although there were some scraps on it) in front of it. Placed on the seat of the chair was a pair of familiar yellow sunglasses. 'Yes.. This is where Guzma sat,' you fondly thought. 

It was a quiet breakfast. Too quiet. You found that you nearly missed Guzma's constant nagging and shenanigans; things were just really boring without him. There was the excited chattering and occasional scream from the Skull Siblings, however, and that was enough to keep you temporarily satisfied. "I see you're finished," Nurse Joy picked up your plate. "Ready for that shower now?" "Yes, please." She helped you up, dropping your plate off in the kitchen on the way. "And here we ar-" Guzma walked out of the bathroom, with shaggy and droopy hair, beads of water dripping from it and down his unclothed body. He only wore a fluffy white towel draped around his waste. "_____-" "-GUZMA!?" Your face immediately turned an embarrassed red, covering your eyes with your hand. You resisted the urge to peek through your fingers, shutting your eyes shut. "Please forgive me! We didn't know you were still in there," you cried. You heard him laugh. "'s fine. I'll get outta' yo' way." Some steps later, you gently moved your hand away from your eyes, sighing in relief seeing nothing where he once was. "I'm so sorry about that," Nurse Joy whined. "Oh, no," you sheepishly grinned. "It's fine." With a cliche life like yours, it was bound to happen sooner or later. "I'd hate to ask for anything more, but do you mind bringing a set of clothes here from my room?" "Of course! I'd be happy to!" "Thank you so much." She scurried out the room, shutting the door.

You slowly limped over to the shower, undressing, turning on the water and stepping in. You relished the feeling of the scouring water running down your body, sighing. This was very nice. You massaged some shampoo in your hair, letting the hot water melt all your troubles away. 'Today's gonna be a good day. I can just feel it!' You let it soak in your hair as you soaped your body. 'Nothing is going to go wrong.' You nearly slipped, hearing the busting of a nearby door accompanied by some screaming. 'I wonder what's happening out there...' You frowned. 'I should get out soon.' You washed out the shampoo, shutting off the water, stepping out, smiling at seeing a new set of clothes neatly folded next to the sink. 'That Nurse Joy... She even left my toothbrush with it! How thoughtful!' You got dressed, brushing your teeth, brimming and beaming with a positive freshness, completely ready to take on the day. You hobbled out the door, almost bumping into Nurse Joy, who was just outside the door. "Oh, _____! Ahah.. You're just in time..!" She helped you into the main room as you gasped. Aaron and Arietta were practically hanging off a nervous Trevor. Tierno was crazily dancing circles around Plumeria. Calem and Guzma were literally butting heads, Guzma growling with clenched teeth, Calem's eyebrows scrunched down in frustration, hat and sunglasses crumpled up in hand. Shauna, in the middle of all this chaos, frantically looked around, before freezing, you crossing her line of sight. "_____!" She cried out. At that, everyone turned towards you as the room went completely quiet. All at once, your Kalosian friends broke away from the Alolans, tackling you into a group hug. "We're heeeere!~" Shauna sang. You got the air squeezed out of you, only managing to wheeze out a very quiet and pitiful; "Yay.."

They let go at once, all looking at you with sparkling eyes. You winced, smiling. "You're early!" You weren't expecting them this soon. "We are!~" Shauna did jazz hands. "We just couldn't wait to see you in real life again!" "But how'd you get here this early? Didn't you have a later set departure time?" "Don't question it," she harshly put a finger to your lips. "Shhhhh.." She rubbed that finger all over your face. "We always find a way.." "Well," You removed her finger, placing it at her side. "Alright then! Let's have some formal introductions, shall we?" You pointed your Kalos friends to one side of the table, Alolans to the other. "I'll start! I'm _____ from Kalos. I like... Hmm... Pokemon! And I dislike outlaws." None of the introductions really introduced you until Guzma. "I'm yo' boy, Guzma!" You held back laughter. "I like rap music, battling, bug types, and _____." He winked at you. "I dislike.." He made eye contact with Calem. "...Things that get in my way." Calem 'hmph'ed. "I am Calem of Vaniville town. I like battling as well, along with baking. I am fond of _____ too." He bowed at you. 'What do I have to do with all this?' You awkwardly scratched the back of your neck. 'Are they fighting over me?' "And I dislike rude people." Calem glared at Guzma. 'Yes, probably.' You covered your face with a hand, sighing. You have indeed known Calem has had a crush on you ever since you defeated Team Flare together, but decided to act aloof to it to make your friendship easier. He was charming, but.. You looked at Guzma, who had his chest puffed up, trying to act tough, staring Calem in the eye. Calem arrogantly crossed his arms, staring right back. '..He's not my type,' you shrugged. No one even told you he had a crush on you; it was just incredibly obvious. "Well, that was fun!" You exuberantly laughed, trying to cheer up the situation. 

"I think I know a place where we can all visit!"


	17. malie memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You make a new friend, and discover something about a previous one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the incredibly late update. My school work has been getting to me and I've had to push aside my writing to catch up. Luckily it is now winter break and I will update more frequently now. Thank you for your patience.

chapter 17 - malie memories

"Super cool!" Shauna marveled at Malie City's beauty. "Isn't it?" You grinned. "Oh my gosh! And is that a clothes shop!?" She screamed, jumping for joy. "It is. We could go in, if you want?" "I'd love that!" Shauna ran in, as your group walked after her. You entered the shop, smiling. "Very different from Kalos," you commented. Guzma walked up next to you. "'s the first time in a long while I've been in a place like this. ..Heh. I got matching outfits with my friends here when we were taking on the trials.." You both exchanged a fond glance. Calem walked over at your other side. "We should get matching outfits, _____. It'd be cute." He charmingly smiled as you shrugged. Guzma, from your side, walked over to Calem. "Whaddif' I got matchin' outfits with _____instead?" "Well.." You rolled your eyes, tuning them out, walking over to Shauna, who was looking at all the various fashions. "It's like a whole different world~" She sighed, turning to you. "I just want to buy all the clothes. Do you think that'd be possible?" "No, unfortunately," you laughed. 

Your eyes caught Plumeria who stood at the other side of the shop, eyes on a frilly pink skirt. 'How cute,' you smiled to yourself. 'Does she like that sorta stuff?' "What're you looking at?" Shauna followed your eyes to the girl. "That's Plumeria," you said, smile still on your face. "She's.. Nice, I think. I've seen her protective and affectionate of the Skull Siblings. Though, she acts rather cold to me.." Your smile slightly melted into a frown as you stuck your hands in your pockets. "I'm sure it's because of my relationship with Guzma." "Ohhh," Shauna pursed her lips. "I could have a talk with her for you..?" She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, no, please don't interfere," you turned to her, sheepishly waving your hands. "It's nothing to worry about." Shauna just placed her hands on her hips, cocking her head to one side, before shaking it off. "Anyway, I had my eyes on this really cute tanktop over here.." She rambled on as you tuned her out, wondering if you'd ever befriend Plumeria. Your eyes drifted to Tierno, who was hitting on the register lady, Trevor right next to him facepalming. 'It's so good to see them again.' You walked over to Tierno, placing a hand on his shoulder, mouthing 'stop'. He just cheekily smiled, shrugging, before horribly moonwalking away winking at the lady. She rolled her eyes as you simply laughed, the whole display awfully familiar to you.

"Shauna," you walked up to her. "Hm?" She turned around, before showing you two cute outfits, hovering them one at a time over herself. "Which do you like better? Pink or blue?" "I like the white one behind you." "Aghh! But white's so boring!" You looked behind you, catching sight of Guzma, grinning, seeing him ruffle the kids' hair (they put on some random masks they found). You looked back at Shauna. "White is exciting." Shauna blushed. "Dirty joke! You are a different person, _____!" "No, no! I didn't mean it like that!" Shauna just shook her head. "I'm guessing white is for that 'Guzma' dude's hair." She grimaced. "Man, you sure do know how to pick 'em." "I don't appreciate your sarcasm," you tiredly smiled. "We've been through quite a bit together and I couldn't help but warm up to him. Maybe I'm going crazy." Shauna just shrugged, spark in her eyes. "I don't want you to get hurt, _____. Watch out, okay? Try Calem. I know for sure he has a stable head." She walked over to the register with the pink dress, leaving you with those words. Your eyes drifted over to Calem who dully stared at a seashell necklace. 'She has a point,' you thought to yourself. 'But Guzma is so full of life. They're completely different.. Indeed, like the sun and moon. They're like black and white. Gold and silver. Ruby and sapphire. Diamond and pearl. X and Y... Okay, this is getting out of hand,' you sighed, walking outside, deciding to wait for Shauna there.

You were beginning to nod off to sleep after a few minutes, resting in the warm Alolan sun. "_____," Guzma suddenly busted out the door. "Hu- Bwah?" Your head darted up, eyes snapping open. "Uh, yo' 'friend'. She's.." He cracked his knuckles. "Just get in 'ere." He took your hand, dragging you into the shop, pushing you to the corner of the store, where Shauna stood in front of Plumeria, Shauna dangling the skirt to and fro. "What're you gonna do about it?" Shauna smirked. You couldn't believe your eyes. "Shauna!" You hissed. "O-Oh, _____! Weren't you outside..?" "I was." Your eyes narrowed in on her face. She grinned, feigning innocence. "I need to have a quick word with you.." You gently tugged her aside, leading her next to the changing rooms. "What was that all about?!" Your voice was low, hushed, but most of all, angry. "I.." Her seafoam eyes shimmered with sadness. "Just wanted to help.. Do you understand where I'm coming from?" You sighed, shaking your head. "No matter what, Shauna, treating someone like that is unacceptable.. No matter how that person may act." "But.." She looked down, too embarrased to look straight at you. "But nothing." You sighed. "Shauna.." Your voice was very disappointed. "Behave, okay?" She shamefully nodded her head as you took the skirt out of her limp hand, walking away.

Plumeria sat outside the apparel shop, head leaned onto her hands as she let out a deep sigh, before turning to the door as it opened with a tiny jingle. "Oh. You." She turned back to the street as you walked through the door, few bags on your arm. "Here." You sat next to her, handing her a bag. Wordlessly, she pulled out the skirt. After taking a moment, she angrily pushed it to you. "That costed a lot." You pushed it back. "But you wanted it, didn't you? ..Please accept this as an apology of my friend's actions. I really didn't know she had that side to her." She reluctantly took it, muttering a small 'thanks', placing it back into the bag before putting it at her side. "..Are you jealous?" You asked Plumeria. Her hands slightly crunched into fists, trembling the tiniest bit. "..It's just not fair." You frowned, before offering your hand. "I'm sorry." Her tightened fist slightly loosened before taking yours, shaking it. "...Okay." She looked back to the street, loosely letting go of your hand. "Can we be friends?" You asked her. 

"..Alright."

**Author's Note:**

> I know this story will seem slow at first, but I promise things will get better.
> 
> Thank you for reading.


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